HOLY HOMEWORK

The Loving Pope Francis in the City of Brotherly Love

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In his classic novel “Nicholas Nickleby,” Dickens begins by asking this question: What should we do if we lose a loved one too early in life? His answer is both practical and profound. He says we must mourn our loss and cry our tears, but then we should do the vital thing. We should build bridges to welcome other wonderful people into our lives. He concludes that in this way we will discover that the word “family” need not merely be defined as those with whom we share our blood, but also as those for whom we would shed our blood.

Pope Francis is coming to the United States in conjunction with the World Meeting of Families Conference, which was created by St. John-Paul II and meets every three years. The theme for this year's eighth assembly is: Love Is Our Mission-The Family Fully Alive. What better place to celebrate such a theme than in Philadelphia, the city of, literally, brotherly love? The week-long venue includes more than 100 speakers on various family issues and concludes with a free evening concert featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra, multi-platinum Latin rock artist Juanes, and the world-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli. However, the star attraction will certainly be the Servant of the Servants of God himself, the unassuming Sovereign of Vatican City and current Bishop of Rome, Jorge Bergoglio.

Thirty months ago when the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel cleared, he emerged on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and immediately began to shatter precedents, which had been set in stone. He chose the name Francis which none of the previous 265 pontiffs had selected. And even more consistent with the humility and reforming spirit of the saint from Assisi, before giving the assembled masses his blessing, Pope Francis bowed his head and asked for their blessing instead-another first of the many new trails he was about to blaze.

We Catholics may rightfully be hard pressed to think of the single most significant insight, gesture, or attitude that we are grateful for in this refreshing People's Pope. There are almost too many documented examples to choose from.

His embracing the disfigured and disabled

His washing the feet of juvenile prisoners

His warning about our maltreatment of the earth

His refraining from a request to judge other people

His refusing luxurious housing and transports

His offering of a papal seat to a child

His selling of a Harley-Davidson to give alms to the poor

His surprising phone calling and spontaneous asides

His referring to the Internet as a potential valuable medium

His decrying of the mafia and barbaric forms of violence

His reforming of the Curia and other Vatican offices

His apologizing for the child abuse committed by clergy

His advocating for those immigrants who are treated unjustly

His admitting to being a sinner, not figuratively but in fact

His outstanding pro-life record and condemnation of abortion

His evangelizing energy to bring the Good News to everyone and last but perhaps not insignificant or least

His appearing on the cover of Time, Esquire and Rolling Stones magazine!

Not all of us will have an opportunity to see the Pope in New York or Washington or Philadelphia, but we can still be grateful for his genuine examples of how to love God and neighbor. In so many ways he reminds us that we are all united in the one body of Christ, our brother; the lamb who was willing to shed his blood for our faith family.

For Holy Homework:

Imagine that there would be a small group of people who had a brief opportunity to say “Thank You” to the Holy Father when he comes to America this month. If you were one of those chosen to express your gratitude, what is it about Pope Francis that you are most grateful for and why?

 

Comments can be sent to: FatherBobPagliari@Yahoo.com