I have been watching our new Holy Father’s inauguration and listening to his homily. He is in all ways an admirable and inspiring figure, and I am completely certain of his anointing by the Holy Spirit to lead us, to be our Shepherd. I am completely without any reservations about him, even less than many who don’t yet feel that they know enough about him to rejoice wholeheartedly in his election—even those among the very faithful to whom it would not occur to have reservations in the first place. But–
Today is the feast day of St. Joseph, and I cannot forget there is another Joseph in silent seclusion, unmentioned. If he had died, if there had been a time given to us for mourning, if —-. This is not a complaint, still less a criticism, and I know and understand the need for no mention of him by the Church. We cannot have two popes. Everything has been done to give the illusion that he’s “gone.” But–
He’s not gone. I still love him. I cannot just stop loving him because he resigned. It’s not that easy. Perhaps it’s unseemly, or not in accord with what’s good for the Church and for us. And I’m sure our Pope Emeritus wouldn’t approve this feeling of profound loss, but I can’t just transfer—on command, as it were—all reverence to another Pope as though the one whom I love as Holy Father had ceased to be. It’s not merely as though he died but something much worse—Everything is happening in the Church, in the media, even in the Catholic blogosphere as though he were never here. It’s strange, unnatural, and something makes me want to say it’s also unbecoming.
I want to repeat that I’m not criticizing anything, and I recognize, under the circumstances, the need for—it’s hard to say it—the “Pope Emeritus” to be as invisible as possible. “The king is dead—long live the king” and all that. But that’s the point: He’s not dead—and there has been no period of mourning—and there is a falseness here that estranges.
Our new Holy Father is charming, wise, all things good—but I have found no responsive chord except one: Before he ascended the balcony to greet the people after his election, he telephoned Benedict XVI!
I think grief is infinitely worse when one feels so alone in it, a grief that should be shared by millions of brothers and sisters—but isn’t recognized, isn’t allowed. I have never felt this estranged from the Church.
Dena
I said this at my blog today:
“The last few days have made it apparent that B16′s strengths were intellectual at the expense of human contact. Given what I’ve seen of Francis’s human contact approach to his ministry, human contact is much more important than intellectual pontificating, pardon the pun. The intellectual underpinnings of Catholicism are there in the magisterium. Whatever updating B16 did to it is marginal, and non-Catholics weren’t listening anyway. I like what I’ve seen Pope Francis. This contact ministry is the human contact that I’ve argued brings Christ to everyone. Through human contact is where Christ is revealed. Pope Francis is a shot in the arm!”
It is odd to have two Popes. I thought it was a huge mistake for B16 to resign. He’s got to carry his cross to the end. Christ fell according to the Stations of the Cross. Benedict had an obligation.
That aside, I am truly pleased with Francis.
Here’s my blog link. I have another longer post on my thoughts on the new Pope from a few days ago.
http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/
By the way, my blog is mostly dedicated to what I’m reading and other literary interests.
You are not alone. He’s family. In 2 days, I’ll bury my mother after caring for her and watching her decline in the decade since my father died. I know, and I expect you do, what it’s like to watch a parent grow old. It’s very painful to not have him around, even in a diminished capacity, because it’s like a death, a little death every day. You’re saying good-bye but not completely.
I also think it’s fair to say that we will all (I hope) have a certain affinity for a particular pope, and I have always felt a deep affinity for Benedict. We will still love Francis, I’m sure, but there’s that great affection for Benedict and his own manner that touched me.
Dear Dena,
The world is all ‘a-chatter’ about our new Pope — and your lack of being allowed to grieve is is, as you say, one not so final as to be needed; and one that you agree — he whom you would grieve would tell you, “grieve not for me…” —
It is a loss. But it need not be a sorrow. I do know how you feel — a beloved, holy priest has retired (though still working!!) — and as a Religious — for “too long” a time now — has been home, in Ireland.
I miss him SO much — BUT — (and this has taken some time!) but he is need there — to tell the seminarians there about his 50 years of missionary work — as a Holy Ghost Father — 20 in Africa, and 30 in ND, USA — and as much as I miss him; I know they need to hear his stories, and learn from his Faith.
Love and God Bless,
Cheryl
Thank you, Cheryl and Barbara.
Manny, you and I may have our different opinions about what is “more important,” but the Holy Spirit doesn’t consult either of us.
Manny: I wasn’t Catholic until 3 years ago. I can honestly say that Benedict’s speech at Regensburg was the catalyst that made me reconsider Catholicism in the light of history and its life-saving message for the world. Also, Benedict and JPII both “intellectually” fought the forces (liberation theology movement) that had consigned Fr Bergoglio to a backwater in Argentina- John Paul rescued him from obscurity, and Benedict drove the nails into that ideological coffin.
Jesus first impressed people with his learning.
Den/Barbara
Perhaps as a commenter on my blog has pointed out, I’ve minimized B16′s genius. I’ll acknowldge that. Perhaps my comment was more in a rhetorical posture to bring out the point of Francis’s strength. I love B16 too. It just so happens that Francis’s physical embrace of humanity has been thrilling and coincides with what I’ve been pushing for for a while.