+JMJ+
It’s DAY 11 of The Marketing Trad’s 2023 Advent Calendar, and we’re getting closer to the anniversary of …
The death of Pope Benedict XVI.
He became Pope in 2005, back in my old TV news days.
Before he stepped out onto the balcony, there was the build up to the death and burial of JP2.
Then, of course, there was all the build up to the Conclave, and the rampant speculation about who would be the next Successor of St. Peter.
From what I remember, there was always this one satellite feed on in the newsroom showing the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel …
“When are we going to see smoke coming out?”
Everyone was keeping an eye on it.
The whole world was wondering.
I think I was in some theatre watching a movie when the news finally broke. I totally missed it.
I wasn’t very “Catholic” at the time, so beyond being just another “ story” in a world of 24-hour news, I didn’t care much about what happened.
When I came back to the Church in 2008, Benedict was still the Holy Roman Pontiff, and he was writing books … books I have in home Catholic library today. They’re on the bookshelf right behind me, actually.
The news of Benedict’s resignation was a different story altogether for me.
I was working at a different TV news channel at that point, part of the early morning team.
I still remember …
We were getting ready to go live with our first show at 6:00 a.m., and this story came in over the newswire from Rome.
“Pope Benedict is resigning.”
I’m just paraphrasing there, but you get the point.
There were only a few lines about what was going on at the Vatican, but we truthfully had nothing else to go on.
Calls were being made, emails were going out, and everyone was scrambling. Whatever plan we had for our line-up was getting thrown out the window because we had a new lead.
When Benedict was elected, it was more of like a, “Oh, I missed it, moving on now,” kind of moment.
This time was different.
I was a practicing Catholic, growing in devotion to the Faith.
Benedict was my Pope, and now …
He was leaving?
The death of a pontiff is one thing, and it’s sad, but this …
He was just leaving.
It was a blow to my soul …
It felt like I was losing my shepherd, but I didn’t have the time to think about it, because I had to write about it – it was showtime.
The death of Benedict came as something of a surprise last year, but man …
The anniversary of his passing crept up on me.
Anniversaries are a good thing, and if you aren’t working them into your company’s emails – or your marketing in general – then you’re missing out.
It’s always important to sit down for a bit and think things out.
Sometimes it helps if you tell the story of the anniversary back to yourself outloud. (Do this alone, or you’ll look weird.)
I have a few other tips for how to fill out the details, but we can talk about it during a consultation.
There’s a 24% discount available for everyone who books an appointment before Saturday at midnight.
Shoot me a quick email at [email protected].
After midnight tomorrow, the consultations go back up to full price.
Stay holy my friend, and God bless.
Vic
The Marketing Trad
P.S. As part of The Second Week of The Marketing Trad’s 2023 Advent Calendar, we’re highlighting quotes from “Immortale Dei,” the Encyclical Letter from Pope Leo XIII on The Christian Constitution of States. Here’s one for you:
“But in matters merely political, as, for instance, the best form of government, and this or that system of administration, a difference of opinion is lawful. Those, therefore, whose piety is in other respects known, and whose minds are ready to accept in all obedience the decrees of the apostolic see, cannot in justice be accounted as bad men because they disagree as to subjects We have mentioned; and still graver wrong will be done them, if – as We have more than once perceived with regret – they are accused of violating, or of wavering in, the Catholic faith.”