Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday.  He made a valiant effort to modernize the Catholic Church to make it relevant for the 21st century.  Promoted unity among Catholics and called upon the church to embrace its global diversity.    Comments are mixed about his actual effectiveness . From  Time  magazine: T he film   Conclave   begins with the death of the Pope. It then follows the chain of events from that moment to the election of a new Pope, following a few characters—portrayed by a cast that won the top honor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. A 2024 film based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris, stars Ralph Fiennes as the cardinal who organizes the  conclave , Stanley Tucci as a liberal American cardinal candidate, John Lithgow as a moderate Canadian cardinal, sort of the villain, and Isabella Rosselini, a sister who serves as the conclave's head caterer and housekeeper.  Earned 93/86 ratings from  Rotten Tomato...

On Friday I posted  part 3 of  The Story of My Life .  This is the fourth and concluding portion, delving into what will come after I die. I am 99+% certain that death will bring me eternal gloom, or peace, depending on how I will end up feeling.  But I could be wrong, and most of my acquaintances have the belief that they will see me in Heaven.  Yet, with my current attitude, will this be possible? Let's begin with Christianity, which for  two millennia has been convinced that no one who refuses to believe in God and  The Bible  can go to heaven .  But eight years ago  Pope Francis  wrote an open letter with an ambiguous passage leading to speculation about the requirement of faith. Do only Christians go to Heaven? Classical evangelical doctrine holds that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, and that those without such faith will be condemned to hell. A number of texts are typically cited in support of this position...