Welcoming two new Saints
Pope Francis is a popular guy these days.
Apart from being named Time's Person of the Year, he's led the charge on presenting a fresh face for the Catholic church in the twenty-first century. Unlike the mild-mannered theologian-turned-pontiff that preceded him, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis has made engaging the culture around him a priority. He's been caught washing the feet of women, embracing the sick, and addressing the priority of the church as "for the poor, to the poor." In a major interview published in the Jesuit magazine America, he likened the role of the church to a field hospital, unafraid to get its hands dirty in the struggle for truth and justice. His Jesuit roots show in his flair for simplicity and concern for issues of justice. His pastoral career shows in his efforts to reform what he calls a "self-referenced" Curia largely in need of change.
Today, he embraces his role as Pope to unify the church further and heal rifts between many of the world's Catholics that find themselves split over social issues and the implications of the church's engagement in the world around it. At the center of this endeavor is the canonization of two of the church's most influential figures of the twentieth century, Pope John XXIII, and Pope John Paul II. The latter was beloved the world over for his efforts to champion the orthodox teaching of the church against the tide of communism in the east and economic exploitation in the west. The former was responsible for initiating the sweeping reforms of the Second Vatican Council, a gathering of the church's bishops which served to provide contemporary worship in the church and allow for clear paths to engage with the modern world. Vatican II is still recognized for its role in opening ecumenical dialogue, providing liturgical worship in the vernacular languages of the church, and other key reforms. John died before the council concluded, but the successive popes saw the implementation of his leadership to initiate such bold change.
These canonizations are important for their ability to unite a normally divided Catholic population struggling to reconcile many aspects of faith and culture. On one hand, many progressive Catholics see modernization and social concerns as the chief priority of the church. On the other, conservative orthodox Catholics want the political face of the church to uphold the sanctity of life and fight against abortion, for example. These Popes were beloved for their very human face to a church that is otherwise rife with accusations of corruption and scandal. Karol Wojtyla, who shares my own name in Polish, was the first non-Italian leader of the church in hundreds of years. Angelo Roncalli was a portly gentleman unafraid to crack jokes about his weight and generally beloved for his sense of humor.
I will always remember my introduction to the church's leadership when I, only eleven years old, heard John Paul II give a blessing to pilgrims crowded alongside us in the opulently colonnaded square outside Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. I was impressed more by his ability to render the blessing in five languages, including my own. My hope is that his prayers now aid our common goals for unity in a church that, as our current leader shows, can do far more united than divided.
Apart from being named Time's Person of the Year, he's led the charge on presenting a fresh face for the Catholic church in the twenty-first century. Unlike the mild-mannered theologian-turned-pontiff that preceded him, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis has made engaging the culture around him a priority. He's been caught washing the feet of women, embracing the sick, and addressing the priority of the church as "for the poor, to the poor." In a major interview published in the Jesuit magazine America, he likened the role of the church to a field hospital, unafraid to get its hands dirty in the struggle for truth and justice. His Jesuit roots show in his flair for simplicity and concern for issues of justice. His pastoral career shows in his efforts to reform what he calls a "self-referenced" Curia largely in need of change.
Today, he embraces his role as Pope to unify the church further and heal rifts between many of the world's Catholics that find themselves split over social issues and the implications of the church's engagement in the world around it. At the center of this endeavor is the canonization of two of the church's most influential figures of the twentieth century, Pope John XXIII, and Pope John Paul II. The latter was beloved the world over for his efforts to champion the orthodox teaching of the church against the tide of communism in the east and economic exploitation in the west. The former was responsible for initiating the sweeping reforms of the Second Vatican Council, a gathering of the church's bishops which served to provide contemporary worship in the church and allow for clear paths to engage with the modern world. Vatican II is still recognized for its role in opening ecumenical dialogue, providing liturgical worship in the vernacular languages of the church, and other key reforms. John died before the council concluded, but the successive popes saw the implementation of his leadership to initiate such bold change.
These canonizations are important for their ability to unite a normally divided Catholic population struggling to reconcile many aspects of faith and culture. On one hand, many progressive Catholics see modernization and social concerns as the chief priority of the church. On the other, conservative orthodox Catholics want the political face of the church to uphold the sanctity of life and fight against abortion, for example. These Popes were beloved for their very human face to a church that is otherwise rife with accusations of corruption and scandal. Karol Wojtyla, who shares my own name in Polish, was the first non-Italian leader of the church in hundreds of years. Angelo Roncalli was a portly gentleman unafraid to crack jokes about his weight and generally beloved for his sense of humor.
I will always remember my introduction to the church's leadership when I, only eleven years old, heard John Paul II give a blessing to pilgrims crowded alongside us in the opulently colonnaded square outside Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. I was impressed more by his ability to render the blessing in five languages, including my own. My hope is that his prayers now aid our common goals for unity in a church that, as our current leader shows, can do far more united than divided.
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