The pilgrims' progress
Jul. 16th, 2008 07:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blamebramptonRemember how I was whining about World Youth Day? It's here ... In good news, it's legal to be annoying again. This is a great relief to me as I seem to annoy without trying. I managed to make a man on the train sniff derisively at me the other day, in what I thought was an unfair fashion, since I was in fact defending the Pope.
My friend had mentioned that the Pope had been a member of the Hitler Youth. "Yes," I said. "That's true, but imagine if we'd lost the War, we'd be speaking in hushed tones of Biggles readers." The sniffer ruffled his paper at me to emphasise his point, which I think is unfair. While there are many legitimate criticisms of the Pope to make, this isn't really one. If he'd been enthusiastic about it, that would be a different story ...
So. Sydney is full of pilgrims. It has been fun playing spot the order, and I did have a respectful giggle at the traditionally dressed nuns wearing World Youth Day football scarves with their habits. But the city as a whole has responded to the influx in its traditional way: it's gone mad.
One of the main train stations for the event is Wynyard, and it is expected to be packed, so, rather than having more trains, or station staff on the platforms controlling crowds, they have removed all the seats so there is more room to be packed in.
Pilgrims come with backpacks, and I can't really complain since I usually have my laptop pack with me, too. But they are young people with backpacks and some have a disturbing lack of spatial awareness. Happily they are also self-policing and I have seen completely unconnected pilgrims taking charge of groups of unruly youngsters and making them behave in an orderly fashion. I heart bossy pilgrims.
At Central, the main train station where I change trains of a workday, the station guard came over the tannoy saying: "Please stand behind the yellow line. If you do not stand behind the yellow line, you might die, even if you're a Pilgrim. That would be bad, we'd prefer you stand behind the yellow line. And have a holy, holy day!"
The cheery last phrase did make most people laugh.
And I was able to send some young French pilgrims to the right train on Tuesday, too, which I feel good about since they were on the Liverpool train, and if they hadn't jumped off at Erko or St Peters, may never have been seen again.
There was a cycling pilgrim who zipped past us today (you shall know them by their orange backpacks) and J muttered, "There goes someone who really has faith." I had to agree.
In Grrrrr WYD news, I find myself liking the Pope a great deal more than his representatives in Sydney. The Pope arrived in Sydney saying that he wished to apologise to victims of sexual abuse, who had been preyed on by those who betrayed the trust of their flock. He then went to a spiritual retreat and spent time with a kitten that has been specially obtained for him, and some native Australian animals.
At the same time, the Foster family began talking in the media about their multi-year struggle to obtain the court-awarded compensation that was ordered to them after their two girls were sexually abused by a notorious priest at their school. At least Cardinal Pell had the good grace to say that he understands why the family is upset.
However, the chief organiser of WYD, Bishop Fisher, told a press conference that the family is dwelling crankily on old wounds. Given the Fosters' eldest daughter committed suicide a few months ago, this is something of an outrageous statement. Pell has not yet commented on Fisher's words. I understand that Fisher wants everyone to concentrate on his bright shiny event, but this is not the way to do it.
Tomorrow the whole circus moves up the road from my work. If you do not hear from me for a few days, it will be because I have been lost in the crowds and been carted off to see an exorcist when my cranky baby lion impersonations are misunderstood.
My friend had mentioned that the Pope had been a member of the Hitler Youth. "Yes," I said. "That's true, but imagine if we'd lost the War, we'd be speaking in hushed tones of Biggles readers." The sniffer ruffled his paper at me to emphasise his point, which I think is unfair. While there are many legitimate criticisms of the Pope to make, this isn't really one. If he'd been enthusiastic about it, that would be a different story ...
So. Sydney is full of pilgrims. It has been fun playing spot the order, and I did have a respectful giggle at the traditionally dressed nuns wearing World Youth Day football scarves with their habits. But the city as a whole has responded to the influx in its traditional way: it's gone mad.
One of the main train stations for the event is Wynyard, and it is expected to be packed, so, rather than having more trains, or station staff on the platforms controlling crowds, they have removed all the seats so there is more room to be packed in.
Pilgrims come with backpacks, and I can't really complain since I usually have my laptop pack with me, too. But they are young people with backpacks and some have a disturbing lack of spatial awareness. Happily they are also self-policing and I have seen completely unconnected pilgrims taking charge of groups of unruly youngsters and making them behave in an orderly fashion. I heart bossy pilgrims.
At Central, the main train station where I change trains of a workday, the station guard came over the tannoy saying: "Please stand behind the yellow line. If you do not stand behind the yellow line, you might die, even if you're a Pilgrim. That would be bad, we'd prefer you stand behind the yellow line. And have a holy, holy day!"
The cheery last phrase did make most people laugh.
And I was able to send some young French pilgrims to the right train on Tuesday, too, which I feel good about since they were on the Liverpool train, and if they hadn't jumped off at Erko or St Peters, may never have been seen again.
There was a cycling pilgrim who zipped past us today (you shall know them by their orange backpacks) and J muttered, "There goes someone who really has faith." I had to agree.
In Grrrrr WYD news, I find myself liking the Pope a great deal more than his representatives in Sydney. The Pope arrived in Sydney saying that he wished to apologise to victims of sexual abuse, who had been preyed on by those who betrayed the trust of their flock. He then went to a spiritual retreat and spent time with a kitten that has been specially obtained for him, and some native Australian animals.
At the same time, the Foster family began talking in the media about their multi-year struggle to obtain the court-awarded compensation that was ordered to them after their two girls were sexually abused by a notorious priest at their school. At least Cardinal Pell had the good grace to say that he understands why the family is upset.
However, the chief organiser of WYD, Bishop Fisher, told a press conference that the family is dwelling crankily on old wounds. Given the Fosters' eldest daughter committed suicide a few months ago, this is something of an outrageous statement. Pell has not yet commented on Fisher's words. I understand that Fisher wants everyone to concentrate on his bright shiny event, but this is not the way to do it.
Tomorrow the whole circus moves up the road from my work. If you do not hear from me for a few days, it will be because I have been lost in the crowds and been carted off to see an exorcist when my cranky baby lion impersonations are misunderstood.
