An Urban Legend it twasn't

Over a decade ago, I heard that the lights on the cross on Mount Royal would turn purple the day that the Pope died. In the back of my mind, I had always assumed that this was some kind of an local-grown urban legend. However, this morning I hopped on the Montreal Gazette's website and only to find out that in fact, it was absolutely true. [photo by Gordon Beck, The Gazette].

On a related note, it turns out that Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes is one of the alleged favourites for becoming the next pope, along with Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze. A radical during the Brazilian military regime, Hummes has been archbishop of Sao Paulo since 1998. Although some claim that he has strayed from his roots [others claim that he has not strayed, just that the circumstances have changed], it seems that Hummes has a genuine pro-poor, pro-worker, and pro-landless stance. Here's hoping.

To find out what the cardinals of the world really think, check out the ... What the Cardinals Believe ... website which lays out the theological positions of each and every cardinal around the world. What would we ever do without the internet?