Francis: Rebuild My Church

Many say that Pope Francis is changing the teachings of the Church. This notion is false. Pope Francis is not changing the teachings of the Church. He is, rather, changing the way that we understand the Church by living out her teaching of compassion. He is showing the evangelical and missionary nature of the Church through his actions as Pope, just as he did before being elected to the Papacy in March 2013.

Vow of Poverty

It was right from the start of his papacy that Pope Francis started turning heads. People really noticed a stark difference between Francis and his predecessor, Benedict XVI. Not only was Pope Francis more personable, there was also a noticeable difference in how they dressed and in their lifestyles. There is a picture of Pope Benedict on one side, and Pope Francis on the other. Pope Benedict is sitting on a lavish gold throne, wearing expensive clothing that Popes customarily wear. Then, one looks over at Pope Francis, and the simplicity in which he lives is overwhelming. The lavish gold throne is replaced by a simple white chair, Pope Francis is not wearing extravagant vestments or the notable papal red shoes. In fact, he is wearing black shoes and the white cassock. For what seemed like the first time, the Church was seeing the Pope for who he was truly a successor of: Peter, a poor fisherman from Galilee. Pope Francis, in his biography written by the Vatican, is quoted, “My people are poor and I am one of them.” Instead of showing the complexity of the Church through royal clothing and fanfare, Pope Francis sacrificed the luxuries of high status, which is similar to how missionaries sacrifice their comfort, and sometimes their lives, to better serve the Lord.

Christ’s Deputy

One of the titles of the Pope is “Vicar of Christ”. The word “vicar” is derived from the Latin vicarius, meaning deputy. The Pope holds Christ’s role as pastor of the universal Church. Pope Francis embodies Christ’s compassion through his actions with the people through his pastoral ministry. The effect that his actions have had on many people is termed ‘The Francis Effect’. The National Catholic Reporter reports that there was a massive ‘Francis Effect’ in Italy. The ‘Francis Effect’ has not only taken a hold of Italy, but of other parts of the world as well. The sheer number of people who have returned to the practice of the faith in Italy because of Francis could be attributed to his actions of compassion, which helps people see the love of Christ in the Church, instead of rigidity and rules. An example of a compassionate action that Pope Francis has carried out occurred during Holy Thursday in 2013. Pope Francis, according to NBC World News, “reinforced the idea that he will champion social outcasts and the poor by washing the feet of a dozen young inmates in a juvenile detention center.” Christ showed compassion to the social outcasts. There are many instances of this in the Gospels. Pope Francis “washed their feet to show that “no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him”(John 13:16). Pope Francis also included women in the rite, which was unprecedented. However, Christ included women and treated them with dignity as well. NBC reported that “The group of 12 young people who had their feet washed and kissed by the Pope included two young women - the first time a Pope included females in the rite.” It is also reported that the group, ages 16-21, were “chosen from different nationalities and religious backgrounds - including two Muslims.” There are other instances of compassion. Francis has kissed the face of a man left deformed by a disease, he has blessed those with disabilities, and he pays especial attention to the poor, young people and the elderly, because, Christ said “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”(Matthew 25:40).

The Light of the Gospel

Other than through his actions, Pope Francis has also evangelized through Lumen Fidei, his first encyclical (written in collaboration with Pope Benedict XVI), as well as his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. Francis asserts that we are all called to evangelize because “All the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19)” (Evangelii Gaudium 120). It is not just up to the clergy to evangelize, because “all of us are called to mature in our work as evangelizers. We want to have better training, a deepening love and a clearer witness to the Gospel” (EG 121, emphasis added ). Evangelization has long been associated with Protestantism, but the reality is that Catholics need not only to evangelize other religions, but other Catholics as well, because evangelizing is part of the nature of the Church. Evangelization is necessary because “there is an urgent need, then, to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence” (Lumen Fidei 4). With God, life might not be easier, but it illuminate things that one has never seen before. In order to obtain this light, evangelization is necessary because evangelization introduces people to the light of God, and “there is no human experience, no journey of man to God, which cannot be taken up, illumined and purified by this light.” (LF 35). Evangelizing is important for Christians because “the more Christians immerse themselves in the circle of Christ’s light, the more capable they become of understanding and accompanying the path of every man and woman towards God” (LF 35). Francis is challenging all Christians to become like the apostles we revere, the Lord we worship, and the God whom we adore.

Conclusion

Pope Francis, through his simplicity and humility in his lifestyle is showing the humility of the Church, as well as a glimpse of who his successor was, not a king, but a poor fisherman from Galilee. He is also living out Christ’s (and the Church’s) teaching of compassion for others by embracing social outcasts, the sick, the young, the elderly and the poor. Pope Francis also is a proponent of evangelization of all through his papal writings, and asserts that the Church’s nature is missionary and evangelical, so all are called to evangelize.

Sources:

Allen, John R., Jr. "Study finds massive 'Francis effect' in Italy." National Catholic Reporter. 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 9 Apr. 2015. <http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/study-finds-massive-francis-effect-italy>. An explanation of how Pope Francis has affected Catholics in Italy, as well as in other parts of the world through his actions.

Lavanga, Claudio. "Pope washes feet of young detainees in Holy Thursday ritual." NBC News. 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 9 Apr. 2015. <http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/28/17502522-pope-washes-feet-of-young-detainees-in-holy-thursday-ritual?lite>. An instance of Pope Francis' compassion towards social outcasts.

L'Osservatore Romano. "Biography of the Holy Father Francis." The Holy See. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Web. 9 Apr. 2015. <http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/biography/documents/papa-francesco-biografia-bergoglio.html>. A brief description of the life and mission of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis. "Evangelii Gaudium." The Holy See. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Web. 9 Apr. 2015. <http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html#We_are_all_missionary_disciples>. An apostolic exhortation of the Holy Father Francis to the bishops, clergy, consecrated persons, and the lay faithful on proclaiming the Gospel in today's world.

Pope Francis. "Lumen Fidei." The Holy See. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Web. 9 Apr. 2015. <http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20130629_enciclica-lumen-fidei.html>. A encyclical written in collaboration with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on faith.