If you haven't yet seen the amazing footage of Pope Leo XIII (circa 1896), have a look at the Holy Father born before the War of 1812.
Pope Leo's appearance and bearing inevitably prompt a few thoughts about our own Age of Francis.
First, Leo XIII was one of the best talent scouts Christ ever had, having set Katherine Drexel and Therese of Lisieux on the path to sainthood. Not too shabby. MLB could learn a few things from him.
Notice also the deference paid by the cardinals and guards attending him. The lesson for our time: familiarity subverts prestige.
Finally, look at the way the old pontiff sits himself on the bench. One gets the impression that Leo was happy with his lot, accepting things simply as they were. He certainly would have looked askance at deceiving the faithful--and, more importantly, himself--through ostentatious displays of humility.
But then, Leo XIII was a pious man.
The author here makes two superb points.
ReplyDeleteThe first being that familiarity subverts prestige. In an age where "one man is as good as another - or better," and where there is supposed to be some profound philosophical insight in the idea that every man puts on his pants one leg at a time, that simple lesson is lost.
Once the Pope becomes "just another guy in a dress" his influence will shrink and the Church's mission will suffer for it. The Church is engaged in the mission of persuading souls to accept Christ, and sad as it may be, we don't often take theological advice from our janitor, regardless of what a nice guy the janitor might be.
The author's second point is even more significant. The current Pope's ostentatious lack of ostentatiousness is hucksterism. It is well and truly a lie, quite bluntly. It may offend populist sensibilities, but the Pope is NOT like everyone else. He is rather the Vicar of Christ. He has come to his position through education and learning and his works, selected by the Holy Spirit to serve that crucial role in God's Church.
To suggest differently is to wallow in a pleasing, not to say self-deceiving, illusion. We are not all called to the high office of the papacy, and their is dignity in each person's station. The paradox is that we demean our own station in life when we pretend that its merits are only manifest if they assume an equality with the station we do not hold.