| Photo by CJ Dayrit on Unsplash
Part XIII of “Fourteen Letters to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV” Series
Dear Holy Father:
Four of the twelve original apostles were fishermen: Simon (whom Jesus “rebaptized” as Peter), Andrew, James, and John. Jesus specifically called these four while they were working as fishermen in the Sea of Galilee. He said that the four and his followers would ultimately become “fishers of men” (and, of course, of humanity).
On December 10, 2023, this columnist wrote that “The Pope and President Biden Must Step Boldly Into the ‘Shoes of the Fishermen’,” but they probably never had the chance to hear of or read it. Why? Their press people did not bother to inform them of said column’s message. Perhaps the Vatican press office and/or the Augustinian Province of Cebu (Philippines) can now summarize it for Pope Leo XIV.
Last Sunday’s column ending said: “And Part XIII of this series will discuss a proposal from this columnist to clean and pump the waters of the Mississippi (Old Man) River to help in reforestation, replenish drying aquifers, and make American deserts green in North America.
“Why involve Your Holiness in this project to develop the Old Man River and end the poverty of poor states of the country? The Illinois River of your home state is a significant tributary to it. It historically served as a crucial waterway connecting the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River for both Native-American Indians and early French traders. The confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers in the Chicago area forms the river. Several other rivers also feed into the Illinois River, including the Sangamon River, Spoon River, and Macoupin Creek. The final two letters will also explain how “Prevostlution of Hope” can even help the economy of the 32 states that have tributary rivers providing waters to the Mississippi River.”
This columnist has written some 40 articles about a vision to launch socioeconomic projects for the Mississippi (Old Man) River and the 32 states that have tributary rivers providing waters to it. Included are visionary articles to turn Tennessee into “TNsea” and make “The Volunteer State” into an island surrounded by natural, and man-made, rivers, lakes and canals that would clean up the Old Man River’s waters, pump them to drying aquifers and rivers, turn American deserts into green oases, generate electricity by employing mini-hydro generating mini-dams, and raising freshwater fishes and shrimps in fishponds. And all the 31 other states can have similar but smaller “TNsea” versions and downstream projects.
Imagine the socioeconomic impact of 32 (and more states) all becoming synchronized economic engines driven by people-driven cooperatives while all of them “reinvent” universal healthcare, rescue distressed banks, rural hospitals, beleaguered farms (where nearly a thousand bankrupt farmers committed suicide), and implement more social changes without proselytizing any religious denominations? Yes, by forming consortia, Public-Private Partnerships, federations of co-ops and credit unions. Then government, religion, and the economy will become of the people, by the people, and for the people, and their cooperatives.
” … there is a plethora of visionary ideas for consideration by the Vatican think tanks. However, the most feasible proposals can be selected and developed into feasibility studies. Like the Redeemer, perhaps it can be initiated by undertaking fishpond projects in the Old Man River, as the larger infrastructure is constructed.“
It appears that most federal and state officials from all political parties are not interested in the “Old Man River and TNsea” visionary proposals. Perhaps a Chicago-born pontiff and his team of volunteers can step into the shoes, and even sandals, of the original fisherman-apostles. And unleash a modern-day non-sectarian version of the original mission of the “fisher of men” and implement his beatitudes, especially in curing the sick, the afflicted and an ailing Mother Nature, help in the feeding of the multitude of hungry peoples and the start the ending, if not mitigating, of other social cancers like homelessness, drug addiction, violence, etcetera, ad infinitum.
This writer has been saying that the world does not need to build more cathedrals of worship. We must build instead cathedrals of learning like what the University of Pittsburgh constructed — as part of a medical center’s other components (hospitals, research and development hubs). And baseball cathedrals that can be used for different sports (that can house cooperative-owned teams, anchored on university athletes). All of these suggestions were also included in a series written to save the Holy Names University of Oakland, California, as previously mentioned to Your Holiness.
It is suggested most respectfully that the Vatican organize the first step, which is to form SWATT teams. SWATT, as this wordsmith has coined, is an acronym for “Socioeconomic Workers, Agriculturists, Teachers, and Technicians.” Poor minority-dominated counties and Native-American Indian reservations along the Mississippi River Basins (and in other states) can be the first areas to field SWATT teams. And even for the American-Mexican border, SWATT teams can help in building houses and resettlement tenements for the homeless, civilians, and veterans alike. Agriculturists can initiate the BAMOS project as a first step in greening the United States and Mexico. BAMOS is the acronym for “Bamboos, Abaca, Moringa, and Other Species” (of fast-growing trees). Interested readers may learn more about the BAMOS idea by looking for 16 articles in the Search Box of the Philippine Daily Mirror and as reposted on Facebook.
Yes, there is a plethora of visionary ideas for consideration by the Vatican think tanks. However, the most feasible proposals can be selected and developed into feasibility studies. Like the Redeemer, perhaps it can be initiated by undertaking fishpond projects in the Old Man River, as the larger infrastructure is constructed.
Vamos a ver, Your Holiness and your Vatican staff?
We send to Your Holiness our highest esteem and deepest appreciation of your attention and assistance.
Very respectfully yours in Jesus Christ,
Roberto (Bobby) M. Reyes
Journalist and Book Author
