Cardinals' call: Pope Brendan Martin

@wwaycorrigan

As the conclave of cardinals gathers to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church following Pope Francis' death, it might be time for a fresh face to become the latest successor to St Peter.

That's the theme of my latest letter in the Irish Examiner, available at https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/yourview/arid-41619562.html (and as a screenshot, below).

Let's Make the Papacy Great Again. I await the cardinals' call. 

Making the Papacy Great Again.

San Luis de Gaceno: Going its own way

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

As has been well documented on this blog, I've visited several rather similar Colombian towns — pueblos — over the last few years. 

Now, some cynical types might say that all Colombian towns are pretty much the same, in a mediocre sense, apart from a small number of exceptional ones. I, of course, wouldn't go along with that.

Gorgeous Gaceno: There are worse places one could be!

Putting God in His place

Nonetheless, having been to so many, particularly in the Andean region, that I don't always remember one over the other or that I forget specific attractions is surely understandable and forgivable, isn't it?

This doesn't mean I didn't/don't like them. One could say it's akin to mixing up lookalike siblings. They have unique traits that set them apart but on first appearance or recalling the individuals from memory it can be hard to tell the difference. This is usually "corrected" through further engagement or by delving deeper into the memory bank.

Some places, though, just like people, stand out more so than others. They are, for good or for bad, more easily remembered.

San Luis de Gaceno, in the hot, low-lying lands in the south of the Boyacá department, is in that category. Its setting alone, which you can get an idea of via this YouTube Shorts video, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v_NToHlkGcQ, should ensure that.

Yet, Colombia has many quaint towns surrounded by stunning landscapes. Indeed, while the natural beauty around San Luis de Gaceno competes with the best of them, architecturally speaking, it's in the lower leagues.

That building blandness aside, it is often the quirkier aspects of a person or a place that linger. With San Luis de Gaceno, for me anyway, two such quirks have stuck in the mind.

'This parish peculiarity could be a sign that Sanluiseños like to, um, think outside the main square.'

The first, more obvious one, conspicuous by its absence, is the fact that the town's main square is devoid of a landmark Catholic church, nay any religious building. This goes against not just the Colombian but also the Latin American standard.

A church-free main square. 

It does have a Catholic church — and, lest one be accused of bias, places of worship for some other denominations — but it's simply the case that it's not located on the main square.

I heard it said that the locals loved their faith so much that they wanted the church to have a standalone spot, which it does. It's on a knoll just off the main road.

Whatever the reason, this parish peculiarity could be a sign that Sanluiseños, the demonym for the locals, like to, um, think outside the main square, so to put it.

'Only their chickens and rivers run free'

The other "major" anomaly that I observed — or didn't observe, as it was — is that the town has no fried/roast chicken restaurant, asadero de pollo as they're called in these parts. Or if there is one, it's well hidden, which would be a feat in itself. These are the eateries, after all, with lines of chickens slowly spit-roasting away for all to see. They're ubiquitous in Colombia. Well, I had thought they were.

It's not, it must be noted, that I needed one during my stay — in heat in excess of 30 degrees Celsius I tend not to have cravings for roasted or fried chicken. It's just that in many Colombian towns there's nearly no other option when it comes to eating out. So the lack of one was a mild surprise.

One thing I do like to have, regardless of the weather, is a cup of quality, unsweetened coffee.

As I've detailed before, it can be next to impossible to find such a "treat" in small-town Colombia. Yet, once again, San Luis de Gaceno bucks the trend.

An oasis of calm: A serene spot where one can unwind. 

In the couple of panaderías I frequented, the coffee served up merited more than a pass mark. And I am a fairly tough grader when it comes to my brew.

Throw in the town's closeness to fluvial freshness — with some serene spots along the river great for cooling off — and a comfortable en suite hotel room for 20,000 pesos per night and it's easy to see why San Luis de Gaceno, as a place to unwind if nothing else, has much going for it.

This is not to mention the quite spectacular scenery en route from Bogotá. It makes the five-hour journey that little bit less taxing. (This is, by the way, on the same road, just a little further south, as Santa María, which I visited and wrote about previously.)

Indeed, if the work and visa gods permit me to stay in Colombia beyond November, I may go back to San Luis de Gaceno to enjoy a longer stint than the rather rushed two nights I had there.

That would be a rarity for me — a return to a town I've already visited. It's as good as an endorsement that Wrong Way can give.
__________________________________________________________
Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast podcast here.

Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".

Warning! Being true to yourself causes harm

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

'If you ever meet a woman ... Just be yourself, Dougal. Be yourself, make them feel at ease and, the golden rule, always let them have their way. It's easiest in the long run.'

That was the advice proffered by Father Ted in an episode of the eponymous Irish-made, British-produced 1990s sitcom to his dimwit understudy Father Dougal.

Father Ted (c) & Father Dougal with the radical feminist Niamh Connolly (image from YouTube).

Self-harm

Acting on that advice later when left on his own in their parochial house, Dougal hands over the residence free of charge to a radical feminist singer — a character unquestionably based on Sinead O'Connor.

When Ted returns he is, unsurprisingly, aghast at what's happened. How could it have transpired?

Dougal tells him that he was just following his advice to 'be yourself'. Ted clarifies: 'Be yourself is just something people say. Never be yourself with women. Never, never, never!'

As for the golden rule mentioned previously, Ted downgrades that to the silver rule. The golden rule is, he says, 'if anyone is ever talking to you again, think about what you're saying and then don't say it. And then just run away somewhere.'

Comedy gold and, if I do say so myself, it has aged like a fine wine.

Of course, the idea of finding and being yourself, your true self, is one that has been parroted by the finest of philosophers and self-help gurus through the ages.

'In today's cancel-culture world dominated by those who perniciously call themselves liberals, many influential individuals appear more prepared to toe the line than to raise what should be considered as reasonable objections.'

Like many philosophical mantras, it sounds quite wonderful in theory yet its practical application can be rather troublesome — vide Father Dougal.

Public puppets

In the powerful, interconnected spheres of media and politics, where it could be said that being true to oneself would be beneficial not just personally but for society at large, we generally get anything but that.

It's more a case of, 'What can I do and say that matches the dominant narrative, that will keep me onside with those who shout the loudest?' This is what tends to drive public discourse and action, not any real conviction.

In my topsy-turvy, on-off 15-year media career, I've lost count of the times when I've spoken to interviewees or fellow colleagues off the record about certain topics only for them to say at the end, 'but we can't say that on-air.' There's a certain image that has to be maintained. In other words, 'I can't really be true to myself because I fear some people won't like it.'

The argument can be made that shooting from the hip — or from the fingertips, à la a certain Donald Trump — isn't very becoming of those in positions of power, that it often causes more harm than good. That's not the point. 

One can still display decorum yet speak one's mind. (I'm not, to refer to another comedy classic, calling for a be-like-the-boy approach from The Simpsons episode Bart's Inner Child, which resulted in a descent into chaos. I'm on about mature discussion.)

Yet, in today's cancel-culture world dominated by those who perniciously call themselves liberals, many influential individuals appear more prepared to toe the line than to raise what should be considered as reasonable objections.

Wisdom paradox

From gender issues and white privilege to climate change and coronavirus-containment measures, there is much we still don't know. Thus, those who aggressively proclaim, like religious zealots, that their path is the right one should not be given a free pass.

Going against our true selves out of fear or for career prospects or suchlike will only lead to frustration and even misery. 

Yes, there's every chance one may be wrong or burning bridges in pursuing a certain course but if one fundamentally believes in it, then it's best to stick with it.

This isn't to say that a person's opinions can't change when and if the circumstances dictate or irrefutable data suggest otherwise. 

Again, the idea of being true to yourself isn't about being right or wrong in the exact moment, it's more about congruence with the fundamentals of your character. In other words, don't try to be somebody else.

Many, however, for the mistaken belief that it will lead to a less stressful, easier life, often follow Father Ted's revised golden rule. They don't say anything. They let others do their thinking for them.

Indeed, the Catholic Church built its vast power on such indoctrination. That institution's force has been on the wane for decades. 

Yet, there are many, arguably more insidious types, stepping into the breach. Beware of those radicals, Dougal.
_______________________________________________________________
Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast podcast here.

Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".

 

Christening conservative Colombia

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

'I'm glad to see that all of the children being baptised today have been given saints' names.' 

That was the opinion of the priest who presided over a recent group christening that I attended in Bogotá's Verbenal neighbourhood.

'Do as I say, not as I do.'

Name of shame

The authoritarian, haughty man of the cloth — I thought the Catholic Church's foot soldiers were meant to act more humbly these days? — had been, um, pontificating about some of the more bizarre names people give their offspring nowadays (in between berating attendees, people who had paid good money for a service in which they were being talked down to, for glancing at their phones and allowing their children to wander about the outdoor gathering).

Apparently, so Padre Wilson informed us, somebody was christened Covid of late. I agree with him on the silliness of that one — although if he (or she, I'm not sure) goes on to hold the world to ransom despite being quite a weak individual all things considered, well then it will be an apt name.

That aside, the priest's line may help to explain why Colombians tend to be rather conservative when it comes to naming their children. 

With the odd exception, something we discussed in a Bogotá Nights episode, name-giving here follows very traditional lines. In contrast, one only needs to look at neighbouring Venezuela to find a more, let's say adventurous attitude to this whole area.

Colombia's conservative approach fits in nicely with the nation's overall psyche. As I've touched on before, someone who might be seen as a leftist liberal in these parts would be considered as being on the other side of the political spectrum in many other countries.

'Listening to Padre Wilson belittle the congregation at the baptism was like a primary school teacher addressing unruly yet naive pupils.'

What's more, there is often unquestioning respect for figures of authority. Like Ireland up until a couple of generations ago, what the Catholic Church says here carries considerable weight, outside of affairs in the bedroom that is.

Toe the line

Listening to Padre Wilson belittle the congregation at the baptism was like a primary school teacher addressing unruly yet naive pupils. 'Follow my lead and you'll be saved, little ones.'

With heads bowed in shame, the flock accepted its shortcomings. Father knows best. (And to underscore this superiority, the seven families in attendance, each having already paid for the christening, were encouraged to hand over more cash when the collection basket was passed around. Great work if you can get it.)

Of course, actions speak louder than words and all that. It's not like the majority of Colombians are pious Christians, even if they are still genuine believers in Christ. It's more a case that the less taxing, what we could call more superficial elements of the Church's teachings are, um, religiously followed. With that, very few seem willing to go against the power-wielders, even if it may be in their interests to do so.

On a broader societal level, every now and again we'll have protest movements. At times it even feels like something might change. Yet with the same energy and speed with which they start, they also peter out. The reality is that there seems little genuine enthusiasm to alter the status quo, despite what might be said.

Compliant, conservative Colombia dominates. Change is fraught with danger. It's best not to do it.

Remember, it's not just the crazy names that you risk importing from Venezuela. It might start innocently enough with a Geoberty or a Rolangeli or the like, but where would it all end? Father knows best indeed.
_______________________________________________________________
Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast podcast here.

Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".