Death of Pope Francis
Popes are world historical figures, like Kings of England or Presidents of the United States, but on an even grander and more important scale. So it is impossible to adequately reflect on or summarize the 12 years of Francis’ pontificate in a simple Pastor’s Note. For that, I would refer you to trustworthy Catholic news sites like the Pillar (main page, news article, analysis), Crux (main page, analysis #1, analysis #2), Catholic News Agency (main page, news, analysis), America (main page, primary article), or even our own Archdiocese’s Northwest Catholic (main page).
All of us will have different memories and experiences of Pope Francis, different things for each of us that inspired us or challenged us. I, personally, will always be thankful for his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium,” which is something of a cri de coeur for evangelization in the modern world. But instead of a full analysis, I would like to use this space to provide a brief reflection on papal heroism.
I will start by saying that I think we learned all the wrong lessons from Pope St. John Paul II. JPII was absolutely an inspiration and a hero – only 58 years old when he was elected Pope out of still-communist Poland, he was a paragon of vigor and courage. He wrote extensively, bringing clarity and discipline to the implementation of Vatican II and penning encyclicals and essays which retooled how moral theology in taught in seminaries today. He travelled extensively, bringing the papacy to the masses and margins. But because he was so heroic, we began to look to the Pope to be the pinnacle of all things – ambassador to the world, living saint, theologian-in-chief, hope for the Church, et al.. I think in our admiration for JPII, we lost sight of the fact that the Pope is a Christian man, doing his best. Despite the heroic virtue that resulted in his canonization, JPII certainly had his flaws, not least of which were his blind spots regarding Marcial Maciel and Theodore McCarrick that we learned about after his death.
I wonder if that put undue pressure on Popes Benedict XVI and Francis, and if it prevented us from receiving their examples and wisdom in their fullness. When the Pope is expected to be the holiest, wisest, most zealous, and most learned man on Earth, how can he ever live up to our standards and desires? But if the Pope is simply a man like any other man, who has given his life to Christ, who is thrust into an impossible office, then the faithful carrying out of that office itself becomes the heroic example.
I see in Pope Francis exactly this sort of heroism. He did not take down world communism like John Paul II and he did not have the once-in-a-generation theological mind of Benedict XVI. But Francis faithfully carried out the papal office, trying to infuse humility and humanity into its exercise whenever possible. And when he inspired people, the inspiration came exactly from this humility and humanity. Francis received a difficult job in a difficult era, and the fact that he was faithful to this impossible duty is its own form of heroism.
So as I pray for Pope Francis, I find myself praying for the man more than for the Pope. I pray that he receives from Jesus those exceptionally sweet words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come, share your master’s joy.”
And as I pray for the cardinals entering the conclave, I am not praying for princes of the Church, but for men who carry the high burden of office. As Catholics, we do not believe that the Holy Spirit picks the Pope. We believe that the cardinals pick the Pope, aided by the grace of the Holy Spirit, as long as they are open to receiving that grace. I pray that these men will leave behind the distractions of politics and agenda and simply be open to the Holy Spirit, who is always caring for the Church.
And as I pray for the next Pope, whomever he may be, I am praying for the man, who is going to have to spend the rest of his life shouldering the Cross of the worldwide Church. I pray that he will wake up every morning begging the Lord for grace and go to bed each night thanking the Lord for his blessings.
My Retreat
I know when I return, many people will ask me how my retreat went. If I am honest, I really will not want to answer that question because (having now completed day 3 of 5), it has gone exactly as expected, which is not particularly well. I really struggle with self-scheduled retreats in relative silence. I get bored very easily, and then I break contemplation to be on my phone or computer, and then I resent that I am not strong enough to just be silent for 5 days. This has been the pattern since my earliest days in seminary, so it is not surprising or as disheartening as it used to be.
The retreats that are best for me are the high-energy, high-impact priest retreats held at Steubenville each year, but they have recently conflicted with Archdiocesan Priest Days, which is a higher priority. So instead, this year I headed down to St. Martin’s Abbey in Lacey (lead by now Abbot Marion, former Pastor of Sacred Heart in Bellingham). The monks here have been wonderful, and I do appreciate the schedule of prayer. But, well, it is not Steubenville. Nevertheless, there have been and will be moments of grace, because the Lord does not let even our weaknesses go to waste. Please be assured that I have prayed for you and will continue to do so while I am down here.
Fr. Moore 