Blocking the Pope's View
I walk through Funchal's central square so often that I rarely ever pay attention to the statue standing there facing the avenue running along the city's shoreline, and looking beyond that to the docks and the open Atlantic itself. The statue commemorates Pope John Paul II's visit to Funchal in May 1991 .
Yesterday, however, as I looked towards the sea from the square, the scene was changed. Temporary grandstands had been set up along the avenue for this weekend's Carnival parade. While thousands of residents and tourists have to stand for hours along the parade route, arriving early to ensure getting a good spot, then watching the parade itself, dignitaries are provided with special seating. It was this seating that caught my eye as I came across the square. It was right between the Pope and the spot where the Carnival parade would pass. They had blocked his view!
Looked at from another angle, it would appear the Pope is promoting the local casino. That advertising is actually across the avenue on a tethered balloon that takes tourists up about 500 ft (150m) to get a bird's-eye view of the city.
The whole scene struck me as odd. It was as if they were wanting to keep the Pope from watching the parade. (That has nothing to do with it, of course, but it was the first impression I had when I came upon the scene.) Carnival has been heavily advertized and promoted by the local tourist board for many years. Some of the Carnival traditions of the Madeirans have given way to the influences of the Brazilian-style Carnival in an attempt to attract tourists. Even so, the philosophy surrounding this coming weekend, through Tuesday, is that "because it's Carnival, you can do whatever you want, and no one will point a finger at you." Anything goes.
Several versions are given for the origin of this period of complete "do-whatever-comes-into-your-head" season, but one thing is certain: Carnival represents the very opposite of what the Bible teaches us to do and be. In that the Pope is understood by the majority of the world to represent Christianity, blocking his vision of the parade would seem to be the appropriate thing to do, after all. But the incongruity of it all rests in the fact that Carnival is strongest where the Catholic Church dominates the culture, and that includes Madeira.
Yesterday, however, as I looked towards the sea from the square, the scene was changed. Temporary grandstands had been set up along the avenue for this weekend's Carnival parade. While thousands of residents and tourists have to stand for hours along the parade route, arriving early to ensure getting a good spot, then watching the parade itself, dignitaries are provided with special seating. It was this seating that caught my eye as I came across the square. It was right between the Pope and the spot where the Carnival parade would pass. They had blocked his view!
Looked at from another angle, it would appear the Pope is promoting the local casino. That advertising is actually across the avenue on a tethered balloon that takes tourists up about 500 ft (150m) to get a bird's-eye view of the city.
The whole scene struck me as odd. It was as if they were wanting to keep the Pope from watching the parade. (That has nothing to do with it, of course, but it was the first impression I had when I came upon the scene.) Carnival has been heavily advertized and promoted by the local tourist board for many years. Some of the Carnival traditions of the Madeirans have given way to the influences of the Brazilian-style Carnival in an attempt to attract tourists. Even so, the philosophy surrounding this coming weekend, through Tuesday, is that "because it's Carnival, you can do whatever you want, and no one will point a finger at you." Anything goes.
Several versions are given for the origin of this period of complete "do-whatever-comes-into-your-head" season, but one thing is certain: Carnival represents the very opposite of what the Bible teaches us to do and be. In that the Pope is understood by the majority of the world to represent Christianity, blocking his vision of the parade would seem to be the appropriate thing to do, after all. But the incongruity of it all rests in the fact that Carnival is strongest where the Catholic Church dominates the culture, and that includes Madeira.
posted by EP | 10:11 AM | Permalink
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