Since the election of Pope Francis, Justin has posted several photos of him on Oramus and begged the question of how we cannot automatically love our new pontiff. I’ve recently found myself wondering the same thing. As I was gathering material for my last few entries, I found photos of the popes during whose reign I have been alive. I’ll take a few moments to post some of them and explain why I like them.
POPE JOHN PAUL II
As I stated in my last entry, my mother grew up with Pope Paul VI. She recalls that before the time of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle, public figures like the pope were not as “accessible”. She recalls a man who seemed “cold and distant”. In John Paul I, the Church saw a man who radiated with life, but did not get the chance to know him as well. Pope John Paul II put a new face on the priesthood, the papacy, and the Catholic Church.
I find this image particularly moving for three reasons. Firstly, when I first started my faith journey, I didn’t understand why it was such a huge deal that Pope John Paul II was such an advocate of the unborn. My logic was simply “the Church is pro-life and he’s the pope. What’s the big deal?” I only recently understood the timing of his papacy being fairly fresh after the debut of the pill, the “sexual revolution”, and later Roe v. Wade. When I reflect on his unwavering defense of the unborn, I can almost sense something in this photo saying “thank you, Papa”, even though at this point in this little girl’s life, she probably didn’t understand the horrors and violence of abortion. Secondly, when I see the world in which today’s children are growing up, I’m reminded of his call to “be not afraid”. Each of us must recall this when we face a world that is seemingly relentless in the hatred, both subtle and shown, that they have for us. I wonder what became of this child when she reached her teenage and young adult years. Did her cross become too heavy for her or did she persevere? And thirdly, the passage from Matthew’s Gospel in which we are told that “…the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these” manifests itself in this image, a time when many need to see one like this.
Maybe it’s because of the “Batman” caption that appeared with this image on the Catholic Memes Facebook page that makes me like this one, but I see here the summit of “be not afraid”. After two world wars, the rise of communism and the oppressive Soviet Union, the Vietnam War, and all the turbulent cultural changes of the 1960s, Witness to Hope author George Weigel notes a great fear that gripped the world. This face seems to lovingly and peacefully tell every naysayer “I dare you to try and stop us” and then turn to the Church and say “let’s get to work.”
POPE BENEDICT XVI
My archbishop shares the same deep passion for the youth that John Paul II felt. When he came to my parish’s Life Teen program shortly after his installation, our group decided to give him a Xanga page (it was my sister’s idea). As I stated in this entry, I think the Church is doing just fine in the modernization department with the papacy running a Twitter page. This image shows me Pope Benedict’s curiosity and intrigue at connecting with us in a new way. It reminds me of “The Papal Facebook Initiative”, an attempt to gain enough of the Vatican’s attention to open a Facebook page for the pope. I can just imagine him thinking “this is kind of neat…”.
He knew the task with which he had been entrusted. Pope John Paul II energized the youth. Pope Benedict XVI showed them the depths of reverence and devotion.
There is one image that I posted it on my Facebook the day he abdicated, but I haven’t been able to recover it. It is a photo from behind of him kneeling in prayer alone before Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. It is a very simple and yet very beautiful image. I imagine the things on his heart and his mind in those moments. Fear and uncertainty? Relief? Regret? Grief? Thankfulness? Humility? We are often told that God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts. How many of us, if in a position such as his, would have been unable to bring such loudness of heart before Our Lord, lay them at His feet, and trust Him to calm us? I know I made Adoration a part of my Lenten resolution, but I’m not sure that the Chapel would have been my first stop with such weight on my heart. I found it to be a very inspiring and moving image.
POPE FRANCIS
I agree with Justin when he says it’s hard not to love this man instantly. When he first came onto the balcony in Rome, I didn’t see the same confidence and joy with which Popes John Paul II or Benedict seemed to receive the office. It was clear that he seemed a little bit more on the reserved side. He appeared as the kind of person who would hide behind his mother’s leg as a child when entering a room full of strangers (and maybe even wishing he could then). I worried for a moment about how seriously he would be taken, how effective he would be, but then he smiled and greeted us: “Bona sera!” In the days after the initial shock, I’ve seen a soul alive with joy and wisdom, but that has a youthful and charismatic side as well.
Some people would use this disabled man to justify abortion and eugenics. I’m reminded of a line from Les Miserables that says “To love someone is to see the face of God.”
When I think of his humility as a bishop and later as a cardinal, I see a man who truly is in touch with those he means to reach. His knowledge of the flock seems to fuel him with the joy of his task as our pope and with his call to be a loving servant leader. Something about him exudes an “I’ve got this!” vibe. Both he and Pope John Paul II received the office with a sense of joy, but each in different ways. Pope John Paul II’s joy manifested with a sense of confident hope that lifted the heads and hearts of those stricken with fear. The joy of Pope Francis is clearly more exuberant. His seems to be fueled by the simple fact that he is our pope.
Again, not too much that’s terribly in-depth here. To me, these images indicated the faces of undying hope and faith in Christ’s promise that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His Church.
If you didn’t see my thoughts on the papal elections, please read here.