Happy Lutheran

Like millions of people around the world, I have been reflecting on the life and ministry of Pope Francis since his death on Easter Monday, and I wanted to put down a few thoughts of gratitude here. [Instead of, say, using AI to dress myself up in the papal finery that he so rarely wore, which was so clearly in opposition to his understanding of himself and the ‘power’ of his office.]

He was, in my opinion, a great pope. Not a perfect pope, as if there could be such a one, but more, I would say, than simply a good pope. And, for me, his greatness came in his authenticity. He was a pope who was authentic, a pope who was true.

He was true to his name. As pope, if you choose to call yourself Francis, you have set the bar high. There is a reason why, in all the centuries of popes, he was Francis I–the first to chose that name. Some might have thought a pope could never, should never call himself “Francis”–the incongruity between the saint’s poverty and humility and the official leader of 1.4 billion Catholics around the world is too great. But Pope Francis proved that he could, in fact, embody the spirit of his eponym, molding the office itself and his papacy in St. Francis’ image: washing the feet of prisoners, instead of cardinals; living in a simple guesthouse, rather than the papal apartments; wearing a plain white cassock and simple black shoes. These were not meaningless gestures: they signaled how he understood himself, and what he valued.

To that end, he was true to his theological commitments, and he centered his ministry on the poor, the planet, and peace. He cared deeply about the millions in the world suffering from poverty–not only taking direct action to help them, but repeatedly speaking out against unjust and exploitative global economic and political systems. He connected these convictions to a commitment to environmental justice, most clearly seen in Laudato si’, the encyclical that focuses on “care for our common home.” In this work, he is strongly critical of rampant consumerism and greed, and calls on all people to take action to protect the environment. Finally, he also made calls for peace a hallmark of his papacy, regularly travelling to places of conflict and war, and emphasizing the need for dialogue and reconciliation.

He also was true to his pastoral identity, and he put people before the institutional machine; love was more important to him than laws. One of my favorite quotes in this regard is from an article in America magazine in 2013:

The thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds. … And you have to start from the ground up.

And, also, let’s be clear, he was true to the Catholic Church, for good and for ill. While I think he did so many good things for the Church–meeting with survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of priests, emphasizing the need to treat all people (including those in the LGBTQIA+ community) with dignity and respect (famously saying, “Who am I to judge?”)–many were disappointed that he did not take strong stances on some of these issues, particularly leadership roles of women in the Church. As I said, he wasn’t perfect.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he was true to his genuine joy in the Lord. I mean, has there ever been a happier, more “smiley” pope? Has there every been any public religious figure on such a global stage who had a more delightful countenance? And, in my view, this joy stemmed from love. There is simply no question that Pope Francis loved his neighbors [enemies/friends/strangers] and loved God–truly and deeply. That love radiated out from his face; that love was baked into the smile lines around his mouth and his eyes; that love shaped his daily rhythm and the exercise of his office.

The papal conclave begins next week, and I am praying for their deliberations. I pray that they choose a pope who will continue down the path that Pope Francis was leading the Catholic Church: a path of love, a path of openness, a path of solidarity and accompaniment. The world needs a global leader who knows how to live a life of public service, a life of love–and inspires others to live such a life as well.