Pope Francis shows us the beauty of silence

SOCIETY

Pope Francis shows us the beauty of silence

Published: 16 Mar 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Shortly after the proclamation of the new pope, a US television reporter told his audience that the Catholics of Latin America "have waited 20 centuries for a pope to come from this region".

There were, of course, no Catholics in Latin America until about 500 years ago. We all make mistakes, but in this case, the error is probably explained less by exuberance at the selection of a new pontiff than by the inexorable demand of the medium for unceasing chatter.

Contrast the endless and largely pointless chit-chat of the modern world with the minutes Pope Francis spent standing silently on the balcony before addressing the tens of thousands in St Peter's Square and the hundreds of millions around the world. The silence was beautiful and eloquent, projecting both a sense of peace and a sense of occasion.

This article is older than 60 days, which we reserve for our premium members only.You can subscribe to our premium member subscription, here.

Forum

Your comments

Eggmeng
Post : 276
Send message

Discussion 1 : 16 Mar 2013 at 09.091
Post this to my Facebook
The West has had the better part of a century to drown themselves in technology's noise, and it's been a gradual process.

What remains a mystery to me, is how the Thai people have chosen to create the most cacophonous society possible, when just a few short decades ago they knew the sublime silence of the fields.

It's only on a trip to rural Myanmar and going down the Irrawaddy river there, that I have experienced what I imagine it was like here 50 years ago. I never felt so much at peace, before or since.

Of course soon enough now, quiet will be a thing of the past in that country too.
Like dislike 2 people liked / 0 people disliked this comment

Pope Francis shows us the beauty of silence | Bangkok Post: opinion