Inauguration day in Rome

Awake just after seven and listening to the Radio 4 'Sunday' programme on this day when Pope Leo's inaugural Mass takes place in St Peter's square with a quarter of a million worshippers expected. Four Anglican Archbishops in attendance, the Archbishop of York representing the CofE. The American Presiding Bishop and the Archbishop of South Africa attending have both been in the news recently for denouncing Trump's action in welcoming a group of South Afrikan Afrikaaner farmers as 'persecuted' refugees having suspended all other refugee programmes. Coincidentally, Elon Musk was born in South Africa, making this morally unjustifiable action resemble a private favour for a loyal mate. Isn't this how dictatorships work?

I was reflecting on our journey to and from Spain last week, and realised that not only on the way through passport control on Friday we were fast tracked because Clare was walking with a stick, but also on the way through, when we were discreetly summoned to an empty baggage scanning conveyor belt, out of the queue with a hundred people waiting. I misread the situation as that of an extra channel being opened due to the length of the queue, as there were two not in use. Discretion on the part of the security staff to avoid 'it's not fair' complaints from the anxious or impatient obliged to wait their turn in line and wanting to know why. It's good to know that disability concerns are given proper attention at departure and arrival.

I went ahead of Clare to shop for our food bank offering at the Co-op on the way to the Eucharist at St Catherine's. She arrived fifteen minutes after the service had started. Not only was she walking slower but had dozed off for a short while after I left. We're both still recovering from the trip and from the intense and exciting experience of yesterday's flamenco concert.

After lunch I sat and wrote for an hour, then snoozed for an hour, before going out for a walk. After supper I spent the evening preparing Wednesday Morning Prayer and Reflection for Rogationtide, finally getting ready for bed a bit earlier than usual, still trying to shake off the tiredness of the past week.