The Pope

Living in downtown Los Angeles, I have many sounds all around, regardless of the hour. One sound that is common for a good number of hours each day comes from Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral: the quarter-hourly Westminster Chimes. Yes, their bells announce every fifteen-minute period and toll the hours. It's like our very own Big Ben, sounding out time across the city. Normally.

When I got home on Friday, I turned on the TV to watch news of the Pope's condition. Mind you, I am not Catholic, but I respect the man in much the same way I respect Mother Theresa. Both, in their lifetimes, did much for people who were seeking quidance and assistance. I made arrangements with my wife and our friends for later that evening, but then I noticed something at 6 p.m. The bells sounded the Westminster Chimes, but not the hour. An hour earlier, Cardinal Mahoney had initiated a prayer service in honor of the Pope, and I couldn't help but wonder what significance such a change in the bells might have (with or without 15 microwave trucks parked outside).

Now I wonder how many times—for how many situations—this change may be made. Does it happen when a President dies? Will they do it again if we have another incident like 9/11? Is it, perhaps, reserved solely for the Pope? It was an eerie experience. I was prepared to count off the hours, and then the bells fell silent. Less than a day later, so did the Pope.