Lessons from The Catholic

Picture with thanks to the Telegraph

Many in my parish would think me a Roman Catholic, and for a number of reasons. First I am known as Father; secondly, I wear some semblance of clerical uniform and only in the colour black; thirdly I know what a cassock is and make use of one from time to time; fourthly, I know when it is better to wear a cotta and not a surplice; fifthly, I can tell my amice from my pumice; and lastly, I wear a small courgette upon my head at odd times during the week (if courgette = zucchetto). Indeed, when I pitched up at church last year wearing a black skull-call there were those who thought I was about to swim the Tiber, drag the parish with me, or else do that strangest of things, and become a member of the Ordinariate! 

No, brothers and sisters, I am a catholic, not a Catholic! 

That all said, what a time to be Roman. I have to say, out and loud, that I am a fan of Pope Francis I, Bishop of Rome - known to himself as Father Bergoglio. He strikes me as a man from whom we could all learn a great deal on a whole number of fronts.

As I cast my world-weary eye across Christianty, I see evidence of much in the way of admonition. There is much that we shouldn't do, mustn't do, ought not do, must never do, or else can't do. In the press today, Christians are telling off atheists for having a view of their own that is not supportive of us. As a result of our Scriptures we have lots of rules (let's call a collection of rules a law, shall we) and we will work tooth and nail to apply those rules to the societies of which we are part. Our Christian Lore is now applied behind the smiling facade of caffe latte, but nonetheless with convicted vitriol. If you don't claim a full personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you are somehow delinquent. 

So back to Pope Francis. I would go so far as to say that among the 'famous' Christians of our time, he is by far and away the most Christ-like. I even think he would shudder to read such words, which is sign yet further of the truth of them. He seems, in his early ministry as Pope, to have moved away from the Christian appetite for admonition - setting aside Christian Lore for what Jesus called us all to do first - and to love our neighbours as ourselves. 

An article in the press today tells of the Pope ringing up an Argentinian woman to tell her, in person, that she may receive Holy Communion. Yes, this is a story subject to validation and has a myriad theological questions at the heart of it, but what struck me was not so much the article itself (which was wonderful, if it is true), but the Lore-makers in the Comments section below. They will have knotted their digits trying to pontificate as urgently as they seemed to want to. Instead of preaching grace and love in their comments, they belched dogma! On one hand, you have this smiling grandfather figure allowing a faithful woman into the sacrament of God - and on the other, some pinch-lipped poe-faced theological types in their birettas stomping their sanctuary slippers in a temper. 

Which would bring you to faith?

Yes, Jesus set out guidelines for us to follow, but the first is this - that we love. The Pope, a man who takes a bus, washes the feet of Muslim prisoners, telephones parishioners, owned a Harley and does so with a beguiling smile is, I believe, doing more good for Christendom than

so many Lore-types. I doubt that he would stomp up to me and check my passport for entry in the borderlands of personal-relationships with Jesus, but rather exhibits a joy in his relationship that would convert me to faith in a breath, were I not already there. Put another way, Pope Francis has taken upon him that quality of Jesus Christ that was the greatest gift to humanity, his own humanity. 

Pope Deposes Seagull

Courtesy of The Edition

You will not fail to have noticed that a new chap, one formerly Jorge Bergoglio (the kids had fun trying to pronounce that, believe me), is now the somewhat unexpected Pope Francis. Lots of firsts (first Latin American, first Jesuit, first Jorge Bergoglio, and so on), lots of drama, and from me lots of prayers for a chap who seems to have struck the right note from the off. 

I will leave the specifics to the commentators and other self-appointed blogging experts, and simply observe something that struck me and others yesterday.

Do you know where you were when the present Archbishop of Canterbury was announced? The leader of over 76million Christians, the news of Archbishop Justin's appointment to a world-level Christian leadership role was greeted with as much of a whimper as anything. I doubt that they stopped Cash in The Attic, or delayed Eastenders for that. Were you waiting for the momentous news from the vantage point of a tent in Canterbury? 

Then you get the situation as just unfolded across the Tiber. People staring at chimneys. People tweeting about seagulls. People camping in Squares, waiting. Commotion, tension, expectation, smiles, joy! Then the smoke (which has its own Twitter Account). Tens of thousands of people cheering. Pomp, ceremony, pageant, more expectation, Sunday-best birettas, a new man emerges to the cheers of a world. 

I wonder what might be behind this. What do we learn about the new Pope? That he was a modest and humble man who did good work with the poor, cooked his own paella and took the bus. Of the Archbishop we learned simply that he did the Alpha Course and may once have had another job. Don't get me wrong, I am faithful to my leader and loyal too. I don't care what Course he did because the Spirit called him on. What accounts for the difference?

I have written about this before. You speak to a member of the Pope's church and they won't describe themselves as Christians, but as Catholics. A denominational pride and self-identity would quickly emerge and although international numbers are sliding for them too, you would be talking to a person who belonged to communities who knew that it was right to go to church, that it was not a matter for secrecy. They know that their leader is important to them and I frankly doubt of many Catholic bloggers bash their Pope. I see a reverent loyalty that is lacking in the corridors of the Church of England because we would sooner wage our own private wars, publicly. The Catholics also have a decidedly proud affection for ceremony and ritual whereas in our little church we seem to be afraid even of the title "priest" or indeed those roles that such a title demands. They have a way of marking the moment, making it special, binding it up in ancient ritual which despite being arcane, still works and still means something. 

I pray for the new Bishop of Rome as, in his way, I truly believe he prays for me and my family. I wish him a good and successful  pontificate as one, I hope, who will walk in grace and goodness with a heart for those matters that clearly meant so much to him before yesterday.  For the rest of us, I pray that we can learn a little from what we witnessed yesterday.