We know that God allows evil in the world, because He has allowed us free will. We also know that death is the result of the intial evil in the world. (Satan… Adam… Eve… the Garden… Look it up.) God uses that evil, death, to bring about a Great Good in our salvation through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord.
OK. Idea established.
I believe that God is using the media coverage of Pope’s funeral and his life and death to do a great deal of good right now. I have never seen so much positive coverage of the Church in my life.
I have seen world leaders whose nations are unfriendly at best exchange the sign of peace at the Papal Mass.
I have seen images of the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance shown on secular television over and over as a backdrop to the faithful’s prayers as the Pope died.
I have seen hours of video of the faithful praying for and with the Pope before and after his death.
I have seen some amazingly positive and accurate stories.
That said, I have also seen a lot of garbage. But overall it has been a wonderful reminder that the Catholic Church is what she is. The Bride of Christ. 2000 years old, unbroken in lineage back to the Apostles. And truly catholic in the universal sense.
I pray that this will lead even more home to the Church, new and fallen away.