The cover of an early edition of the Pensèes (“Thoughts”) of Blaise Pascal (1623-1662). He was only 39 when he died…
A copy of Pascal’s description of what happened to him during his “night of fire.” It was November 23, 1654. He experienced… the presence of God…
Letter #33, 2025, Sunday, May 4: Thoughts
There are just two days now — Monday, and Tuesday —before the beginning of the papal conclave on Wednesday, May 7.
The last of the “Novemdiales” Masses in prayer and mourning for the death of Pope Francis is just ending in St. Peter’s Basilica, celebrated by French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, 73, who was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Francis in 2015. He is the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura in the Roman Curia.
Now I plan to go up the Gianicolo hill, and descend to Santa Maria in Trastevere, for the Sunday evening Byzantine liturgy, in Italian.
***
Charity, and clarity, and their relationship…
I appreciate and always learn from the writings of the brilliant French mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623-1662; he died at the age of just 39). Pope Francis and Pope Benedict also appreciated Pascal, because he was so authentic, honest and bright-shining — so clear with his words of logic, and of faith.
My late professor of the development of Church doctrine, Dr. Jaroslav Pelikan (he taught at Yale, and passed away at the age of 82 on May 13, 2006, almost 20 years ago now) once said to me, jokingly — paraphrasing St. Paul in his praise of the theological virtue of charity —
“There remain then these three: faith, hope, and clarity, and the greatest of these is clarity.”
Then he smiled, and added, “Clarity is a type of charity.”
Another way of saying it: “Clarity is a type of love.”
These three things (these four things) then abide, that is, they last beyond this life, into eternity.
***
“Night of fire!”
Pascal is famous for his contributions to probability theory and his work with “Pascal’s Triangle,” which is used in binomial expansion. Pascal is also known for inventing an early digital calculator, a syringe, a hydraulic press, and the roulette wheel(!).
If he did actually invent an early calculator, we may say that Pascal is the inventor, or partial inventor, of the computer, and so, a type of father to our entire modern world of computer-driven technology.
But Pascal was also a mystic.
And for this, I honor Pascal.
What he wrote moved me profoundly, and prompted me to set out on my own search for a type of “mystical encounter” with God — something which, of course, cannot be demanded or compelled, but only asked for, appealed for, cried out for.
Something which always comes freely, as a gift, in response, I think, to the deepest longing and deepest need of the thirsty, wandering, wounded and literally “lost” human soul.
Pascal described his own, soul-shattering mystical encounter.
Reading his account, I thought, “How fortunate he was! How profound, how transformative, how transfiguring, those moments must have been. If only…” (“If only I might also experience something of that type…”)
This is what Pascal says happened:
Pascal’s vision of God occurred on November 23, 1654. It lasted two hours, beginning at 10:30 pm and ending at 12:30 am.
We know this because when Pascal died, it was discovered that he had sewn his account of that vision inside his jacket, so as to always have it with him.
This is what Pascal experienced that night, in his words (link):
The Year of Grace 1654
Monday, 23 November, feast of St. Clement, pope and martyr, and others in the martyrology.
Vigil of St. Chrysogonus, martyr, and others.
From about half past ten at night until about half past midnight,
FIRE.
GOD of Abraham, GOD of Isaac, GOD of Jacob
not of the philosophers and of the learned.
Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace.
GOD of Jesus Christ.
My God and your God.
Your GOD will be my God.
Forgetfulness of the world and of everything, except GOD.
He is only found by the ways taught in the Gospel.
Grandeur of the human soul.
Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you.
Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy.
I have departed from him:
They have forsaken me, the fount of living water.
My God, will you leave me?
Let me not be separated from him forever.
This is eternal life, that they know you, the one true God, and the one that you sent, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ.
I left him; I fled him, renounced, crucified.
Let me never be separated from him.
He is only kept securely by the ways taught in the Gospel:
Renunciation, total and sweet.
Complete submission to Jesus Christ and to my director.
Eternally in joy for a day’s exercise on the earth.
May I not forget your words. Amen.
***
“Night of wind”
After 70 days of seeking, on the night of April 29, 1972, at about 9:40 in the evening, I experienced something unique in my life, which seemed to me to echo aspects of what Pascal experienced.
Before me I perceived the presence of what is holy. It was like a light, but beyond light. Like a flame, but beyond flame. Like a chord of music, but beyond music. Like a warm blanket, but beyond substance. Not less than substance, but more than substance, infinitely more.
I have no other words to describe what I encountered, or what encountered me.
I heard no words, but was told to be still.
Then, a wind, not a wind, but like a wind, startling, irresistible, healing. It passed through me, from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, re-arranging within me, it seemed, every cell and atom in my body, until my loneliness and doubt and wretchedness was transformed, and a kind of certainty, joy and delight filled me. Despite many failings, and sins, the memory of the encounter has never left me, to this day.
The upcoming conclave
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…” —St. Paul, Letter to the Ephesians, 6:12-13
Two weeks ago tomorrow morning, Pope Francis died.
In three days, some 133 cardinals will enter in Conclave, to elect his successor. Some 89 votes — the number is not certain, because it could be some cardinal will still fall sick, and not attend, or, recover, and attend — will be needed to elect the the next Pope, with a 2/3s majority.
Many of these cardinals — perhaps every single one of them — could be a good Pope.
Yes, I believe that.
Because it is in part the Spirit of God that guards over each man elected to be Pope, despite his inevitable deficiencies and sins.
And whoever is elected will take a new name, and be different forever from he has been.
***
We are all human, and all fallen.
By definition.
We strive to overcome our fallenness, to rise, and to become better, even good, and so to become faithful servants, each of us, to differing degrees.
But it will be the Holy Spirit who selects the next Pope, and it will be the Holy Spirit who will strengthen and inspire whoever is chosen to carry out his mission, which is… to confirm his brother bishops in the faith.
And for those who may ask why I say this also in regard to Pope Francis, I reply, did you ever consider what it might be like to try to gather a herd of cats who are often criticizing each other and clawing at each other?
The ways of the Lord are mysterious, and Francis was asked to lead the Church after his predecessor abruptly resigned, and then handed him a white box filled with a detailed description of the various undercurrents in the Vatican he would have to face.
Francis through his pontificate revealed the hearts of many, and asked me personally to please pray for him, and I promised him I would, so I must.
And in praying for him, I try to pray also for his decisions, many of which I did not understand, or agree with.
But, beginning with Peter, all of our Popes have been men susceptible to sin and imprudence.
The continued existence of the Church, despite human frailty, is an astonishing sign of the presence of God’s Spirit in this world.
***
I close with 11 thoughts on the upcoming conclave, and the present moment in the Church:
Eleven “thoughts” (Pensèes)
1) Balance: balance must be found between the Jesuit mind and spirituality (Francis) and the traditionalist mind and spirituality (Pope Benedict), that is, a balance between politics — bread for hunger — and the sacred — the eucharist for eternal life… a balance between love for the poor and the forgotten, and love for the mystical life in Christ
2) Corruption: the Church prays and longs for an end to the pedophilia crisis; the abuse crisis; it must be ended; it is too horrible, so many wounds, so many souls harmed and lost, and justice must be done.
3) Organization: organize the Vatican first, and then, the whole Church — careful management;
4) Ecumenism: we must reach out toward Christian unity; without departing from orthodox faith;
5) Synodality: fidelity to tradition means to listen to the voices of the past, to those who knew Jesus in life, and who followed Him and handed down their memories of Him; Synodality must mean adhering to the voices of our tradition, in a democracy that includes all who have come before us, as well as listening to the peripheries of today; we must also always listen to the apostolic tradition, magisterium;
6) Globalism: the Church is universal; but nations and peoples are a good thing (Cardinal Erdo’s vision of a “harmony” of nations, living in mutual respect);
7) Immigration: the stranger is and must always be welcomed and helped; we or our fathers or grandfathers have all been strangers; but the stranger must honor those who host him and receive him, and must respect their integrity;
8) The question of man: We are “imago Dei,” great, very great, filled with dignity, all of us; because we are all in the image and likeness of God; yet… so we are also fallen, so we must, each one of us, set out from our personal Babylon, and return toward our true home, with our true father, who will receive us; and we are then able to be restored; saved; redeemed; these principles are the basis for an absolute respect for all human life;
9) Children: we must not abandon our children; we must teach and form children, support and love them, not abuse and forget them;
10) Family: we must support and honor families…. Cells of society… modeled on the Holy Family…
11) Liturgy: we must restore the sacred in the liturgy, which is exemplary in the Byzantine liturgy, and in the old Tridentine rite; these rites should be permitted, everywhere, but not made into isolated outposts of “the pure ones,” but universal expressions of the community which celebrates the Lord’s suffering, death, and resurrection, until the end of the world.
—RM
***
From the sublime to the ridiculous…
Here is a story which is a bit silly, but this is our situation, in this world… there is silliness as well as solemnity, and foolishness, as well as wisdom. God help us….
Over $10 million in bets placed on who will be the next pope (link)
Maria Grazia Murru – Associated Press|Sylvia Hui – Associated Press
May 03, 2025
ROME (AP) — Next week’s conclave to elect the successor to Pope Francis as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is a solemn affair steeped in centuries-old traditions.
But far from the Sistine Chapel where cloistered cardinals will cast votes, people are placing bets on who will be chosen as the next pope. From cash bets on websites to online games modeled after fantasy football leagues and casual wagers among friends and families, the popularity of guessing and gambling on the future of the papacy is increasing worldwide, experts and participants say.
It’s even topped the Europa League soccer tournament and Formula One drivers’ championship, said Sam Eaton, U.K. manager for Oddschecker, a leading online platform analyzing odds across sports, events and other betting markets.
“There’s a huge level of interest globally,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve had a market like this where we’ve had so many countries interested in seeing odds.”
Around the world, thousands of bets on the next pope
Hundreds of thousands of people from some 140 countries have visited Oddschecker to review each cardinal’s chances of becoming the next pope, Eaton said. He noted special eagerness in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States.
In the U.K., about 30,000 pounds (almost $40,000) have been wagered with one leading online betting platform as of this week, Eaton said – a far cry from 1.2 million pounds on the singing contest Eurovision but still noteworthy as a trend, with the conclave days away.
“Betting on the next pope is definitely a niche market in the grand scheme of things, but it generates global interest,” said Lee Phelps, a spokesman for William Hill, one of the U.K.’s biggest bookmakers.
“Since April 21, we’ve taken thousands of bets, and it’s the busiest of all our non-sports betting markets,” said Phelps, who expects a surge in interest once the conclave begins Wednesday.
Betting on elections, papal conclaves and all manner of global events is almost a tradition of its own in the U.K., but such betting is not legal in the United States. BetMGM, one of the world’s top sports-betting companies, said it would not have any bets up.
But Eaton noted that in the unregulated, illegal space, one of the biggest sites has $10 million wagered so far in pope bets.
Fantasy “teams” of cardinals
In Italy, betting on the papal election — and all religious events — is forbidden.
Some people in Rome are making friendly, informal wagers — the equivalent of $20 on a favorite cardinal, with the loser pledging to host a dinner or buy a pizza night out.
Others are turning to an online game called Fantapapa, or Fantasy Pope, which mimics popular fantasy football and soccer leagues. More than 60,000 people are playing, each choosing 11 cardinals – as if for a soccer team – whom they believe have the best shot at becoming the next pope.
They also draft the top contender, or captain. As with online wagers, the No. 1 choice for fantasy players has been Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, closely followed by Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
“It’s a really fun game to play with friends and have a laugh,” Italian student Federico La Rocca, 23, said. “Initially my dad sent it to me ironically, but now that it’s going to be the conclave, I decided to have a go and try it.”
La Rocca said he chose Tagle because “he looks like a nice guy and fun person.”
Players’ selections determine the number of points they rake in. But what’s the jackpot?
“Eternal glory,” joked Mauro Vanetti, who created the game when Francis was hospitalized earlier this year.
Vanetti said he and his co-founder are against gambling, but they wanted to create something fun around the event.
“It seems like in Italy there’s a certain inquisitiveness about the mechanisms of the Catholic hierarchy, but it’s a critical curiosity, a sarcastic and playful curiosity, so we were interested in this jesting spirit for such a solemn event,” Vanetti said. “In some ways it deflates the sacredness, in a nonaggressive way.”
Some concerns about betting on a solemn event
Beyond simply picking who the next pope will be, players and gamblers also can guess how many tries it will take the cardinals to choose the leader, which day of the week he’ll be elected, what new name he will decide on, or where his priorities will land on the progressive-conservative scale.
While the game and some of the bets have a novel or fun nature, anti-gambling advocates have raised overall concerns about legal gaming and the growing popularity of wagering on all manner of events.
A study published last fall found that 10% of young men in the U.S. show behavior that indicates a gambling problem, which is a rising concern in other parts of the world, too.
And for gambling around the papacy in general, some have raised religious concerns. Catholic teaching doesn’t go so far as to call games of chance or wagers sinful, but its Catechism warns that “the passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement.”
It says gambling becomes “morally unacceptable” if it gravely affects a person’s livelihood.
[End, article on betting on the next Pope]
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