This image has so many metaphors.
Holidays stir the souls ... connecting them with other timelines in which they were persecuted by something called religion - false gods - the truth about the hologram steeped in secrecy and shrouded in mystery and fear. Over at the Vatican today there is no date for the start of the papal conclave. Not all the guys have showed up. Don't expect anything until Mercury goes direct and it may have a few surprises. With society on the brink of change, and information easily accessible with the latest technologies, how is the "church program" going to maintain its facade? Who will be the cardinal to set things in motion? Fear about leaks to the public has hindered the Cardinal's connection with the press ... but someone will slip up. Can a bunch of old guys, many with issues and outdated, often hypocritical values, decide the fate of billions of people? It's all in the script - don't get upset as the end of ACT III approaches.
6 Strange Facts About Choosing the Next Pope Live Science - March 7, 2013
With Pope Benedict XVI officially pope emeritus, the Vatican on media lockdown, and the cardinals gathered in Rome, the mysterious process by which the next pope gets chosen is set to start. Like the Catholic Church itself, the process of choosing a new pope is a blend of modernity and medieval ritual. From bug searches to red shoes, here are six strange facts about the process of choosing the next pope. The conclave, which means "with a key" in Latin, got its start during the tumultuous 13th century, when the Catholic Church spent two separate periods of a few years without a pope. Fed up, in 1243 the people of Rome locked up the cardinals until they decided on the successor, according to the Rev. Thomas Reese, the director of the religion and public policy program at Georgetown University. In 1271, people tore the roof off of the building where the cardinals were meeting and put them on a bread-and-water diet, hoping the discomfort would hasten the decision. Prior to that, political leaders often chose the pope.
Take 2: Castel Gandolfo near Rome: We see the Pope Emeritus seated in front of a television, his focus fixated on "the program". The camera zooms in on the title The Bible. Holding the remote control, he pauses the action, then utters, "Now it all makes sense. I know why I had to step down. May God save us all." Tears well up in his eyes. He makes the "sign of the cross". You decide what happens next.
It's about time ...
Since the pope announced his resignation - lightning struck St. Peter's Basilica - an earthquake shook Rome - a meteor fell from the sky missing Rome and landing in Russia - an Earthquake Struck Castel Gandolfo, Pope Emeritus' Home just days after he arrived.
