Pope Francis is Human

Pope_Francis_in_March_2013_(cropped)Last month I wrote a post analyzing the National Geographic cover story entitled “Pope Francis Remakes the Vatican”.  I read the article skeptically, expecting to come away feeling frustrated with slanted reporting, and still knowing hardly anything about what Pope Francis was actually doing.  Instead, I found myself enjoying the inside look at the Pope shared by author Robert Draper, who stayed in Rome for six months observing the Holy Father’s daily life.  As Pope Francis’s visit to the United States approaches, I would like to briefly share three new things I realized after reading the article.

1. Pope Francis is Human

As obvious as this seems, I never stopped to consider the full implication behind this.  As the Pope, it is easy to expect him to be a saint already, to only speak the truth perfectly, to completely adjust to a different lifestyle without a glitch, to effortlessly guide the entire universal Church without ever having a moment of weakness or difficulty.  But as Draper reviewed some of the radical moments of Pope Francis’s first months, showing how he grew and developed into his position, I realized how hard it must have been for him to transition.  When I looked back at his decisions and seemingly radical choices in light of his humanity, it was easier to see him as a man trying to do his best, but realizing that he no longer had the freedom to reach out in the online casino ways he had previously.

2. Pope Francis is Solidly Catholic

He is not changing doctrine, not redefining what it means to be Catholic, and not trying to soften the rules by bending them.  Pope Francis is reaching out in sympathy to a world which he realizes is hurting, which he knows will not turn to an institution which only seems interested in judging them.  He is not saying or doing anything that the Church has not done all along.  He is proud of the Catholic faith, and when questioned about his strong statements in support of her doctrines—statements the news will not report—he shows compassion but does not waver.

3. Pope Francis is In Love

The Holy Father is in love with the children of God, whether or not they are Catholic.  He is trying to show the world that God is reaching out to them through the Church, not to scold them, but to love them.  Pope Francis wants to be like Mother Teresa on the streets with the poor and heartbroken.  While he has learned that he can no longer be on the streets without celebrity attention, he has also realized that he can use that attention to show the hurting world a different side of the Church.  He can focus on how God’s beloved children are suffering, and show them loving compassion while gently guiding them back to the narrow way, which has been the focus of his papacy.

Though no one knows better than Catholics the danger of believing the media at its word, the constant misrepresentation of the Pope can leave even Catholics a little apprehensive.  Yet after learning the reason and passion behind the Pope’s activity, I know now that I can trust his actions.  He is the shepherd of the Church after all, and following Christ’s example, he is going after the lost sheep who have forgotten that the Shepherd not only loves them, but misses them.  God came for every man, and Pope Francis simply wants to world to remember.

My full analysis of the National Geographic article and more commentary on the spirit behind his actions can be found in my post last month, entitled “Pope Francis Remakes the Vatican?

 

Abigail C. Reimel

Abigail C. Reimel

Abigail C. Reimel is a budding Catholic author in love with her faith. Though her more immediate dreams include successfully completing college and securing an editing position, she ultimately hopes to live in a little beach house with her future family while writing books that present "the good, the true, and the beautiful" to the young adult generation in an exciting way. She has been published in the St. Austin Review and hopes to be published many more times in the future. She adores living by the ocean, but traded salty winds for mountain air to attend Christendom College, where she is majoring in English.

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4 thoughts on “Pope Francis is Human”

  1. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” That’s a hint as to what is meant biblically about becoming a child of God. More specifically, it means being born again through the waters of baptism, and there is, ultimately, only one Church into which one can be baptized (whether or not this is understood at the time). What Abigail Reimel means by, “the children of God, whether or not they are Catholic,” is, however, very unclear.

    The
    Holy Father is in love with the children of God, whether or not they
    are Catholic. – See more at:
    https://ignitumtoday.com/2015/09/12/pope-francis-is-human/#sthash.ZRVqcxON.dpuf
    The
    Holy Father is in love with the children of God, whether or not they
    are Catholic. – See more at:
    https://ignitumtoday.com/2015/09/12/pope-francis-is-human/#sthash.ZRVqcxON.dpuf
    The
    Holy Father is in love with the children of God, whether or not they
    are Catholic. – See more at:
    https://ignitumtoday.com/2015/09/12/pope-francis-is-human/#sthash.ZRVqcxON.dpuf

  2. I love this! You are totally right-when we sit down and learn about him & his motivations, everything makes more sense. In our culture of instant gratification, it seems that we often content ourselves with only reading the headlines or glancing over an article to then make a judgement on a decision or person. But really, we need to actually look at what he has said and done-not just read what the media says-and see that he is a true, faithful follower of Christ.

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