Jan Phillips, "If I Were Pope" (with Thanks to Claire Bangasser)

Don't miss Jan Phillips's magnificent poem "If I Were Pope" at Claire Bangasser's A Seat at the Table blog right now. It opens with this provocative declaration:

If I were pope

I'd proclaim the end of my infallibility

and banish the word sin from the doctrines of faith

And then it concludes:

If I were pope, I'd throw a party at the Vatican

and invite everyone who's left the church

because they didn't feel welcomed.

(The overflow crowd would be treated to weekends

at Italian vineyards.) 

If I were pope, I'd announce my retirement,

and as my last act in office, at the final party,

I'd ordain to the priesthood any woman who was ready,

marry any gay couple who wanted my blessing,

and marry any priest, male or female. 

Then I'd get in my jammies,

say a prayer of gratitude,

and crawl into bed for a much needed nap.

And every word in between that powerful opening and that wonderful conclusion is worth reading. 

As Claire notes, the poem is from Phillips's book No Ordinary Time: The Rise of Spiritual Intelligence and Evolutionary Creativity.