Confused
Believing that there are no coincidences, I have to believe that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, as pope, is part of GOD’s Plan. But, accepting that is like I am on a bridge to nowhere: my belief, my understanding just ends. Nevertheless, there absolutely must be a reason.
All I can come up with (so far) is that I, at the very least, was too comfortable with the leadership of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope St JohnPaul II. Altho Pope JohnPaul II did not become a part of my daily life (daily consciousness) until after his death (to my great loss), his prolific writing (both by him and about him) has allowed me some measure of contact. I was very aware of Pope Benedict XVI – even to the point of being able to literally reach out and touch his sleeve (and yes, I do have the photo to prove it); and again, his prolific writing has allowed me to continue the relationship. Altho I am not hardly in the same intellectual category as JohnPaul and Benedict, at least I do feel I am on the same page. I’m sure I don’t understand even half of their work, but their writings feel like home – this is where I want to be now, and this is what I want to grow into.
But with Pope Francis, all I am is confused.
I do enjoy Pope Francis’ “the pastor must smell like his sheep”; but, I know I do not smell at all like him. I think most Catholics need to hear, “love the sinner, hate the sin”; instead we got that infamous, “Who am I to judge?” I don’t know where he thinks we are, but one place we pew sitters are not is in a barque with a rudder.
“Decentralized”? Fragmented is what we have. I read about positions of bishops here in the USA, and I thank GOD that my archbishop seems not to have drunk very much of the “spirit of Vatican II” kool-aid. If I was in Germany, I think I would probably stop going to Mass entirely.
“Pastoral”? What is pastoral about “the tenderness of Jesus,” when He says, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you.” (John 6:26). To continue, “Many of His disciples who were listening said, ‘This saying is hard; who can accept it? … As a result of this, many [of] His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him.” (John 6:60-66) What should a “more pastoral” Jesus have said? “No, I didn’t mean that, not really. Come back.” Exactly who had the ‘closed hearts, the hearts of stone, the hearts which do not want to be open, do not want to hear’?
I have written in these pages about opportunity. Maybe the whole point of Francis is to give me the opportunity to test what I took for granted with JohnPaul and Benedict? Maybe. And for me, maybe a good thing. But, I think of the thousands (millions) who look to the Bishop of Rome for help in navigating daily life. They are, quite simply, adrift without a firm hand.
Yes, there are those that would point out that the “firm hand” of Rome has been entirely too firm throughout history. And that it must loosen its grip, if not release us altogether. And, if that happened what would make us Catholic? Frankly, I don’t want to be like everyone else. Would I have to stop believing in the Real Presence, just so Protestant heretics would feel more comfortable? It seems Pope Francis is headed in that direction. He certainly has no problem with various bishops in the US and Europe throwing open their arms and cathedral doors to those in direct violation of Canon Law. (No, Canon Laws 912 and 915 do not “leap” to mind; but those are the ones that I am thinking of.)
I don’t think those that crucified Jesus saw Him as a good ol’ boy. Neither was He their idea of a messiah. Rather, I think they viewed Him as a threat to their political position. Jesus was the most counter-cultural person ever. He never tried to “fit in”; and He was far more pastoral than anyone living in the marble that is Vatican City. (Not to put too fine a point on it, Jesus no doubt smelled more like His sheep than the current pope – not that anyone probably noticed. If you’ve spent any time in the Middle East, you know what I’m saying.)
To borrow from Jeff Mirus, “it is the hallmark of our seriously confused yet politically correct culture that all those under its influence must close their hearts again the message of Christ.” To which Pope Benedict added, “the Church will become small.”
Whatever the future holds for us, it won’t be business as usual.
Dr Jeff Mirus, in “Abyssus Abyssum Invocat” was the springboard for my essay
See Dr Edward Peters, “Denial of the Eucharist to pro-abortion Catholic politicians: a canonical case study,” http://www.canonlaw.info/a_denialofeucharist.htm
Joseph Ratzinger, “Faith and the Future,” Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2009.
Eternity is a Long Time 