Pope Francis

Pope FrancisFrom the earliest time of Christianity the pope, a term derived from the Greek word for “father,” was regarded with great love and reverence by the faithful. The Pope is the Vicar of Christ and successor of Peter. As we think back at the visit of Pope Francis to the U.S. and consider in general his ministry, we are filled with gratitude to God and reverence for the pope.

A recent interview for America Magazine sadly called the pope “a disruptor” in what R. R. Reno described as Jesuit extremism.[1] The term “disruptor” in Reno’s intention is probably not derogatory – and could be applied to Jesus Christ and his disciples by his adversaries – but it is hardly the way one would call one’s father, and even less in public when that father happens to be the one appointed by God to lead his Church. (Many Jesuits would also object to being called extremists because of their words or gestures and are precisely doing what Reno thinks others do: ‘running, in a good sense, the day-to-day life of the Church.’

The pope has spoken with wisdom and a big heart to the people of America, first in Cuba and next in the U.S., and to the people of the world represented in the Assembly of the United Nations. He is worthy of our admiration, love and obedience. Before considering briefly what he said to the people of the US it is worth pointing out the attitude of a remarkable 19th century Englishman, Blessed John Henry Newman, upon Pius IX’s declaration of the dogma of Papal Infallibility. Newman had reason to think that the declaration would be made at an inopportune moment in England, only two decades after restoration of the Catholic hierarchy. Characteristically he did not voice his opposition to the Holy Father’s decision in public, and although he voiced his opinion to friends in private letters, in public he showed a refined respect and support.

Some orthodox Catholics think that the pope should have spoken forcefully in defense of some Catholic doctrines. The pope chose instead to preach on basic truths about Jesus Christ, charity, world peace and human rights, especially life and religious freedom.

Pope Francis has touched every American, moving them to examine their consciences. God spoke to us through the pope. Each person was addressed – the believer, the unbeliever. In Philadelphia he recounted the story of how, when the wealthy heiress Catherine Drexel asked Pius XII about the missions, he replied: “And how about you?” – words which changed her life. In the wake of the pope’s visit to our country we need to hear these same words addressed to ourselves: “What about you?” If we try to be open and to listen to God in prayer he will speak individually to us.

David Brooks said in an interview on PBS that he thought the pope’s visit would have a lasting effect on the lives of many people, including Jews and other Christians. I wish here to mention some of the ideas that he addressed to different groups.

To US leaders: Work together for the common good, respecting the dignity of every human being at every stage of his life; respect the tradition of religious freedom exemplified by the Quakers; and respect the freedom and dignity of every human being following the example of Abraham Lincoln.

To bishops: Be spiritual fathers to your flock, and be close to your priests.

To world leaders: Work for peace in the world, seeing in each war the faces of suffering human beings; work for an integral human ecology that includes the care of our common hope, and care for each human being. He said: “The common home of all men and women must continue to rise on the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman, the poor, the elderly, children, the infirm, the unborn, the unemployed, the abandoned, those considered disposable because they are only considered as part of a statistic. This common home of all men and women must also be built on the understanding of a certain sacredness of created nature.”

To priests, religious and laity: Go out like St. Junipero Serra and evangelize, teaching like St. John Neumann and generously responding to God’s call, as did St. Catherine Drexel.

To relatives and friends of victims of the attacks on 9/11: “This place of death became a place of life too, a place of saved lives, a hymn to the triumph of life over the prophets of destruction and death, to goodness over evil, to reconciliation and unity over hatred and division.”

To children and youth: Value friendships and learn from their parents and grandparents; dream and work to carry out those dreams.

To immigrants: Recognize that they have many gifts to share; religion is at the basis of culture and therefore religious freedom must be safeguarded if a nation is to flourish.

To prison inmates: Begin anew in their lives and do not consider themselves excluded from the human family.

To families: Appreciate that God became incarnate in a family; God placed his love, goodness, truth and beauty in the human family.

The message of the Holy Father was not new, but it was delivered with a new strength. David Brooks noted that, in fact, it was the message of two thousand years. Pope Francis preached the Gospel and the teaching contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He preached about God’s love in creation and the incarnation, forgiveness, respect and love for others, and reaching out to the poor, the sick, and others who are excluded.

The following words to the U.N. Assembly, for example, recall similar words of Gaudium et Spes: “Our world demands of all government leaders a will which is effective, practical and constant, concrete steps and immediate measures for preserving and improving the natural environment and thus putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of social and economic exclusion, with its baneful consequences: human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, slave labor, including prostitution, the drug and weapons trade, terrorism and international organized crime.”

The pope’s gestures were very powerful and significant. They were numerous, and each person who saw or touched him has a story to tell. The gestures that were visible to larger groups were: washing the feet of homeless persons, visiting the Little Sisters of the Poor, and greeting children along his path. Other gestures we can only imagine, such as his time with victims of sexual abuse. And as impressive as all these gestures were, these too were not new. Many of us know of similar ones by the popes of the 20th century. Yet the latter does not take way from their significance. All felt the closeness of God, his warmth. We can truly say that Christ was walking in the streets of Washington, New York and Philadelphia.

Some Catholics, however, are dissatisfied because the pope did not speak on many issues that they considered important. They wish he had spoken more clearly about the Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality. They compare him to the two previous popes. These Catholics are like the Pharisees who were scandalized and did not recognize the Messiah when he came – they were unwilling to accept Jesus on his own terms. They were not open to anything other than what they expected to see and hear. Today some Catholics see the pope and are scandalized, questioning his ministry. Of course, the pope is not God but Christ’s Vicar, and he calls us to open our minds and hearts to action of the Holy Spirit in his Church.

God works in different ways and through different instruments. Every successor of Peter has a different cultural and educational background. A few stand out not only for their holiness but for their convincing arguments and extensive works, such as Pope John Paul II, but we must be careful not to expect this from successive popes. We must also concede that the Holy Spirit places in the heart of each pope points of doctrine or the spiritual life that need to be emphasized. Pope Francis has seen the need to emphasize the works of mercy and the evangelization of those who are at the margins of Christian life. In doing this he does not discard or minimize the Church’s teaching.

St. Josemaría Escrivá taught people to love the pope, whoever he was, and to pray and support him. He often reminded them of St. Catherine’s description of the pope as il dolce Cristo in terra (the sweet Christ on earth).

The pope does not need to be a theologian to exercise the chair of Peter and he does not choose to speak as a theologian. He wishes to proclaim the Gospel and explain its passages with a simple, straightforward exposition of the Gospel.

At the same time he knows how to draw good from people, building on their heritage. To the congressmen he said: “I would like to mention four of these Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton. This year marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the guardian of liberty, who labored tirelessly that “this nation, under God, (might) have a new birth of freedom.” Building a future of freedom requires love of the common good and cooperation in a spirit of subsidiarity and solidarity.” As has been pointed out by Michael Cook in MercatorNet, Pope Francis has a different manner of reaching people: “he is committed to a different kind of rhetoric. It’s not overly simplistic to say that he is trying to win souls, not arguments.”

Repeatedly, both through his example and his words Pope Francis urges us to live with the joy of the Gospel. The faithful, when confronted with a culture of death, can fail to respond with the necessary mercy and joy – and even find fault with the pope for doing so.

At Madison Square Garden, representative of our civic life, Pope Francis commented on the prophet Isaiah’s words: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” He spoke of Christ who walks through our cities, and amid the smog gives light. He is the Light of the World and we are called to be his witnesses.

Let us take to heart these words of Pope Francis, and, reflecting on the week he spent in the US, consider what changes God wants for our life and how we will respond to that calling.

As Blessed Newman reminds us the pope can err as an individual person but not as pope.[2] The pope rarely speaks ex cathedra in union with the bishops of the Church, using the charism of infallibility. However even when he does not we must listen to him with reverence and filial respect and love. With the start of the synod for families let us increase our prayer for him and all the bishops participating in the synod.

[1] https://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/hes-disruptor-interview-first-things-editor-rr-reno-pope-francis-us-visit

[2] “Do not forget the parable of the tares–of the net–and that’ many are called, few chosen.’ Of course there is, and has ever been, an abundance of evil–and that in Popes as well as in others; and Popes have made great mistakes–and Popes have said and done heretical things– though they were not heretics, and did not say and do them as Popes. Pope Liberius, for instance, when he gave up St Athanasius, did it under constraint, when he wished to get back from exile, and was in the hands of the Arians. This was not an act of his as Pope, ex Cathedra, but as an individual, and an

erring one. Now the very reason I became a Catholic was because the present Roman

Catholic Church is the only Church which is like, and it is very like, the primitive Church, the Church of St Athanasius–I have said this in print?”  John Henry Newman, Letter to Mrs. Helbert, Letters and Diaries Vol XXIV, August 30, 1869.

 

Like this article?

Leave a comment



[]
1 Step 1
Name of the Petitioneryour full name
Name (of the person in need)your full name
Short Description of the Need, for ex. heart disease, spiritual conversion, finding employmentPrayer Intntion
0 / 300
Previous
Next

Aim at ‘seeing the King in His beauty’.  All things that we see are but shadows to us and delusions, unless we enter into what they really mean.

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

The Psalms, the "voice of the Church," invite us to enter into the sufferings of Christ and His people, and cling to God above all.

Applying Newman's theory, it seems clear that the notion that women's ordination to to the priesthood, would not maintain the type of the early Church.

In 1990, the International Theological Commission, issued a document titled "The Interpretation of Dogma" in which Newman's seven notes are endorsed.

The path forward for us personally and for the Church at large, requires returning to the core truths that Christ Himself has revealed to us.

We are made to be gifts to God and gifts to each other, body and soul; to go against God’s law, which is for our good, is to refuse the gift.

What does John Henry Newman mean by the words: "to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often?"

Our Books

About Cardinal John Henry Newman

Purchase Book


A Guide to John Henry Newman will interest educated readers and professors alike, and serve as a text for college seminars for the purpose of studying Newman.

Review by Catherine Maybanks
(Catholic Herald, April 1, 2023)

Review by Serenheed James
(Antiphon, April 2023)

Purchase Book

 
Fr Peter Conley takes us on an exciting journey into the spirituality and inner life of Saint John Henry Newman.
 

Purchase Book


Endorsement by Neyra Blanco (Amazon)
I bought this book for my son and he loved it, he wrote this review and urged my to submitted: “I think this book has a very beautiful message, because it shows how the young Newman was so determined to achieve his dream of becoming a priest, but even after his dream he continued to work in the church with passion until the day he died, it’s so admirable that even Newman so old and so weak still had that urge to continued his work of being a priest. And the book is well written with words not too complicated with very enjoyable texts and well illustrated pictures. I highly recommend this book for a 5th grader.  

Purchase Book


What is a Classical Liberal Arts Education? Why is it so important for the development of a person?

Fr. Juan R. Vélez answers these and more questions you might have about University Education in the 21st century. This book is aimed for parents, prospective University students, and educators. It will help you discern why adding Liberal Arts electives to your education will help it form it better, and help the student learn to reason, and not just learn.

He also explains how many Universities have changed the true meaning of Liberal Arts, and the subjects, and gives advise on how to choose College Campus, Subjects, and Teachers.

A wonderful book that every parent should also read way before your children are College bound. A Liberal Arts education can start earlier in life, even from home.

Purchase Book


Endorsement by Christopher Moellering (Goodreads, September 14, 2019)
In Passion for Truth Fr. Vélez gave us an outstanding biography of Cardinal Newman. In this work, he provides a concise overview of his thought and his devotion. This is a great work for someone who, perhaps hearing of Newman for the first time because of his beatification 13 October, 2019, wants to know more about this English saint.Vélez is a wonderful writer in his own right, and the frequent quotations from Newman round out the work nicely. I especially appreciated the frequent citing of Newman’s Meditations and Devotions, which show a different side of his spirituality than his more well-known works, Development of Christian Doctrine and the Grammar of Assent.

Purchase Book


Take Five: Meditations with John Henry Newman, endorsement by Illow M. Roque (Amazon, September 3, 2010)
“There is a time to put direct inquiry on hold and give ourselves to prayer and practical duties.” Sound advice from one of the earlier, thought-provoking reminders in this sparkling gem of a book: Take Five | Meditations with John Henry Newman, written by Mike Aquilina and Fr. Juan R. Vélez and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This particular paragraph, referenced above, which begins with a direct quote from soon-to-be canonized priest, cardinal and poet, John Henry Newman: “Study is good, but it gets us only so far . . .” is actually the 15th in a series of 76 concise, logically organized meditations moving from the elementary to the sublime. Each meditation–one per page–is built upon the great man’s writings and remarkably rich spirituality. Whether taken whole in one reading or in part page-by-page over a course of weeks and months, these wonderfully insightful meditations will open up, even to the busiest reader in the midst of the world, a unique pathway into prayer and contemplation. My advice to spiritual inquirers at all levels, from the novice to the spiritually adept, is to follow the authors’ recommendation to use this book as a guide for daily prayer and meditation. The structure of the book itself is ideal: first, the authors introduce us to Cardinal Newman, the man, where we are given the opportunity to get to know him through a brief sketch of his life and spirituality at the beginning of the book. This is something readers will likely find themselves referring to again and again, prompting many, I suspect, to even wider explorations of this most gifted Christian leader. Then comes the meditations, consisting of a short summary of Newman’s thoughts on subjects taken, as the authors explain, from various salient points for which Newman is justly remembered: The pursuit of objective religious truth; Teaching on the Virtues; Defense of the Catholic Church; A devout spiritual and moral life; and Generosity and loyalty in his friendships, which sets the topic and tone for each meditation to follow. Each meditation consists of an excerpt taken from Newman’s thirty-plus volumes of writings and diaries. Next comes three brief and extremely useful sections entitled: “Think About It,” which establishes a prayerfully resonant tone throughout the book; “Just Imagine,” which provides a vivid, prayerful experience of the Scriptures that tie in, and finally, “Remember,” a pithy summation which the authors suggest may be used as a daily aspiration. Each meditation is given its own page, which makes it ideal for daily reflection for readers on the go. This book is a must have for every serious Catholic who wants to take their faith to the next level, which is to respond appropriately to the universal call to holiness and seek interior union with God.
Fr. Peter Conley

Aim at ‘seeing the King in His beauty’.  All things that we see are but shadows to us and delusions, unless we enter into what they really mean.

David Warren

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Robert Kirkendall

The Psalms, the "voice of the Church," invite us to enter into the sufferings of Christ and His people, and cling to God above all.

Fr. Juan Velez

Applying Newman's theory, it seems clear that the notion that women's ordination to to the priesthood, would not maintain the type of the early Church.

Fr. Juan Velez

In 1990, the International Theological Commission, issued a document titled "The Interpretation of Dogma" in which Newman's seven notes are endorsed.

David Warren

The path forward for us personally and for the Church at large, requires returning to the core truths that Christ Himself has revealed to us.

Robert Kirkendall

We are made to be gifts to God and gifts to each other, body and soul; to go against God’s law, which is for our good, is to refuse the gift.

Fr. Juan Velez

What does John Henry Newman mean by the words: "to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often?"

Fr. Juan Velez

Listening to God is done keeping in mind the normative value of the whole of Tradition and of the Church’s Teaching.