A man formerly known as Pope (MFKAP)

On this historic day when Pope Benedict XVI leaves office to once again become Joseph Razinger, BeirutStateofMind would like to wish the man formerly known as Pope (MFKAP) all the best in his future endeavours. We cannot be sure whether MFKAP’s visit to Beirut in September of last year had any impact on his decision to leave his post – being the last country MFKAP visited before making his timely decision – however the caption accompanying this poster advertising his visit seems somewhat poignant given the turn of events. An extract from the Gospel of John it reads: “You know the truth, and the truth sets you free.” Perhaps MFKAP became aware of a latent truth that influenced his decison, or maybe he just wanted to free up some extra time to play the piano.

A poster from Pope Benedict XVI's September 2012 visit to Beirut. Still on display at the beginning of Charles Malik avenue at the time of publication. 26/02/2013.