Column | Pope – NRC

It was the morning of Easter Monday. We sat on the couch in the living room, everyone sounded on a screen, when Willem shouted from the kitchen that Godnondeju was dead. Immediately a connection was made with Brabant, where Willems old father, former priest, was not yet aware of the news. « Dad, hold on. The pope is dead, » said Willem. There sounded cursing again, a few times ‘oh anyway’ and then the council caught. Robert Sarah, that’s the name of a contender. « Robert Sarah! », Brauled Willem towards the couch, pointed to me and to be sure, a hand on the horn: « Just like you! »

Then there was another Dutchman, Eijk, Nonde Nonde, if it became, we were not on it. « Who is dead again? » Cheese (5) asked me. « The pope, » I said, a bit affected. Same year of birth as my father, it had to be. « What or who is the pope? », Cheese asked again, his eyes in the meantime tight on the screen of the iPad. « That is the most important man of the Catholic Church, » I said absent, and talked about NOS.nl.

« Ezra, Jesus is dead, » cheese said to his brother, who was still deepened in Minecraft.

I thought of 2013, the year that Willem met.

I had organized a program about the new pope in the counter. « Popi Jopi, » we called it. All Catholics in Noord-Holland had gathered in the room, about 25 pieces. Afterwards they drank red wine in the cafe. A month later, Willem and I were decorating each other at the same bar, with a lot of cultural Catholic bombing. ‘Our French’ turned out to be a point of recognition, a sign of a shared background where, it turned out, we both had a la full of roses and bottles of holy water. Francis had of course been a barrel of conservatism, like all popping. He found abortion an absolute shame. But, in his last days, he had put trans sex workers a heart, he called the Christian Church in Palestine every day, he gave women more important positions within the church and, not entirely unimportant: he was quite dirty of the followers who led his hand in the Mass. I would have too. « It is very bad for God that Jesus was dead, although I thought he had already died a few days ago, » mused cheese.

I got up and walked to the kitchen, where Willem completed the conversation.

« I think it’s one thing, » I said. Willem nodded, his newsfeed meanwhile changing. « JD Vance, that Rotzak, it would not surprise me, » he muttered. « I said, I think it’s one thing, » I said louder now. Willem looked up disrupted.

« Yes, I don’t know, sometimes random things can suddenly close such a period in your life, » I started. He nodded and looked at his phone again. « I mean, » I tried again. « I can use a hug. » He looked at me stunned. « Seriously? » He said. « That man was 88. » « You can also just give that hug, without thinking about its justice, » I said, something more angry. Willem looked at me really desperately. « Yes, say, » he said and made a pike dive towards the living room. « And now all off those iPads! » He shouted, a perfect, also noble distraction of unpuggets in our marriage.

« Look daddy, » said Ezra. He turned his screen. A huge cross, built in Minecraftwith a strange smiling man on it. ‘Rip Pope’ was under it in large, fluorescent letters.

Sarah Slumber Writes a column every week. She is the author of books, essays and plays.