The Night The Pope Told Us To Go To Sleep

Posted on: Thursday, April 7th, 2005 by Cheryl Felicia Rhoads

India Yahoo/UPIThursday April 7, 9:03 AMTop Stories The Night The Pope Told Us To Go To Sleep By Cheryl Felicia Rhoads That night in 1979, crowds stood beneath the balcony of Cardinal John Cody's residence when Pope John Paul II visited Chicago. He had stood there a long time waving to one and all. The faithful refused to go home - until the pope lovingly admonished them to "Go to sleep". He then laid his hands to the side of his face and closed his eyes and nodded as if he were a child lying in his bed. The people below all laughed and yet they lingered. The next day, my brother and I went to Grant Park to see him say mass. We ran into a friend of mine. We had been in high school plays together and I had not seen him in a few years. This young man was going to have his ailing mother's rosary blessed by the pope, if he could. We all rode the train together downtown and marvelled that we would be able to hear a pope say mass in person. It was something none of our parents had ever been able to do. The three of us also exchanged stories in recalling the previous year when this pope had been elected by the College of Cardinals. I related that I had then called a Catholic actor friend of mine, who was Polish. I congratulated him that "one of his guys had made it" (in becoming the new pope). But this other friend didn't believe me at first. He actually thought I was making one of the then popular "Polish jokes". (This was pre-political correctness; one might actually tell an ethnic joke back then.) Then I convinced him to go turn on the TV set, and he'd learn that I was indeed in earnest. He called me back later, thrilled that "one of his guys HAD made it!" However, many others would find reasons to personally relate to this pope. As a member of both the Screen Actors and Writers guilds, I was always impressed by the fact that early on this pope had been an actor and writer as I was now. However his faith superseded his other passions. I began to relate to that aspect too. In fact later, in 1987, the pope came to Los Angeles and I refused an important audition, preferring to go see him say mass in Dodger Stadium. My agent got angry with me but I figured the pope had known what it was to be pulled between his faith and a career in the arts. (He had chosen rightly for the world's sake, so going to see him again was the least I could do.) My agent was quite exasperated with me. He told me to call the casting director to see if I could perhaps come to the audition earlier. That seemed worth a try, although I was still doubtful, as I knew I'd be cutting it close time-wise. I called and was told I couldn't come earlier. However, when the casting director learned my reason for skipping this job opportunity she didn't go all "Hollywood" on me. Turns out she too was Catholic and had longed to see him but was constrained by the demands of casting a hit TV show full-time, with no time off for good behaviour. Even though I had already made my decision, it was reaffirming as the casting director declared "For goodness sake, Cheryl go see the pope! We'll call you in another time!" She called the following week and, as it turned out, I was cast in a much better part than the original one. All I could think was "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all else will be added to you" In my case it was just a guest-starring role on a sitcom, but to a struggling actress it was a wonderful treat nevertheless. Later, I always claimed that the pope got me that job. Seeing the pope was even better the second time. The experience was as remarkable as the man. He was an inspiration in so many ways, whether it was in his stand against communism, his apology to the Jews and always in his stand for life. So now as I watch the coverage of the passing of John Paul II, I think back on the then new pope telling the crowds in Chicago it was time to say goodnight. Perhaps, Karol Wojtyla never got to play Hamlet in the theatre, but Pope John Paul II was the prince of the world stage. I am proud to be a Catholic tonight. Goodnight, sweet prince. Go to sleep. (Cheryl Felicia Rhoads, a writer and actor living in Hollywood, penned this piece for United Press International, UPI.)

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