Imo Pectore

When the pope makes a decision about the naming of a cardinal, but declines to name that new cardinal publicly, because to name him publicly would bring unwelcome attention, which is to say that the government or regime or junta or dictatorship or commissariat or executive committee of the nation in which the new cardinal resides would be even more interested in usual in stilling the heart of the new cardinal, for fear of his increased influence on the hearts of the faithful in his country, then the pope keeps the new cardinal's name imo pectore - in the innermost recess of his heart. Other than His Holiness the Pontiff of Rome, no one knows how many more cardinals there are in the world than we think there are. Their names are revealed only after they die. Many times in the long history of the Roman Catholic Church the Pope has died suddenly without having the chance to inform anyone of the cardinals he holds in his heart; so when that particular pope's heart ceased to beat, the names of his secret cardinals flew from their muscular home and vanished. The more I think about this the more riveting it is to me. Lesson: there are secret words in every heart. For almost ten years now I have had five secret words in the innermost recess of my heart, and I reach in there sometimes and unpack the box they're in and inhale their redolent spice, always fresh, always restorative, always miraculous water to a thirsty man: he should do very well. I don't forget those words. Those are good words.
                                           ~ Brian Doyle, in The Wet Engine

the words i hold imo pectore: "Don't try to control what isn't in your hands to control. One way or another he has always found his way." those are good words, too.

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