[Jokes] Did you know? (fwd)

[Chris McKenna]

---------- Forwarded message ----------

We have a new Pope but did you know .......

One of the blokes who missed out on the papacy... Hans Grapje was raised in
a Catholic school in The Hague and, as a young man, aspired to become a
priest, but was drafted into the Army during WWII and spent two years
co-piloting B17s until his aircraft was shot down in 1943 and he lost his
left arm.

Captain Grapje spent the rest of the war as a chaplain, giving spiritual aid
to soldiers, both allied and enemy. After the war, he became a priest,
serving as a missionary in Africa, piloting his own plane (in spite of his
handicap) to villages across the continent. In 1997, Father Grapje was
serving in Zimbabwe when an explosion in silver mine caused a cave-in.

Archbishop Grapje went down into the mine to administer last rights to those
too severely injured to move. Another shaft collapsed, and he was buried for
three days, suffering multiple injuries, including the loss of his right
eye. The high silver content in the mine's air gave him purpura, a life-long
condition characterized by purplish skin blotches. Although Cardinal Grapje
has devoted his life to the service of God as a scholar, mentor, and holy
man, church leaders agree he will never ascend to the Papacy.

No one wants a one-eyed, one-armed, flying purple Papal leader.