The next pope - a load of rubbish

Tom Pavey died in Brisbane, Australia, on July 31, 1997.
At his funeral the priest spoke about  how Tom used to help at the church
and visit an old peoples' home.
The priest also said how Tom would pick up rubbish as he walked along the street.
As he put the rubbish in a bin, he would pray prayers like
- Dear Jesus, please bless our country
- Dear Jesus, please heal the sick
- Dear Jesus, please give peace to the world

Tom's act of humility in picking up rubbish was a prayer for others

For the past year or so I've been trying to imitate Tom.
Each morning as I go for my morning walk,
I pick up a few bits of rubbish and put them in a bin

As I make my deposit I pray just one prayer:
Dear Jesus, please let the next pope be a Vatican II pope

By that I mean a shepherd with a great love for the poor
and a great desire for a loving encounter with our troubled world.
Someone who will stop the present trend of "winding back the clock", "circling the wagons"

If you think this idea is a load of rubbish - you're right!

Please join me in this prayer campaign for the next pope

Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I.
November 30, 2010
Hong Kong
jdwomi@gmail.com