On Sunday, Pope Francis concluded a momentous visit to the United States. Throughout his six-day tour, from his remarks at Capitol Hill, the UN, and Ground Zero, to his Vespers service at the striking St. Patrick’s Cathedral, to his closing Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia in front of one-million strong, all eyes were on the pontiff.
Before his arrival, many speculated: what message would he send? How would he react to America? Would he slam capitalism or overemphasize environmentalism? Would he speak to abortion or same-sex marriage? Should the Pope even be commenting on issues of potential political significance? We Americans were ready to do what we do best: politicize people, events and institutions.
But by the end of his congressional address on Thursday morning, it already had become clear that Francis’s visit would be different. It would not be reduced to the American categories of left or right because it would be irreducible. His strong but careful words throughout the week challenged us to think differently.
When the time came for his departure on Sunday evening, he had addressed many important issues facing the Church and the world today. Each time, he spoke with a graceful, concise and unfailing orthodoxy that transcended politics. Pope Francis is neither liberal nor conservative, neither a Democrat nor a Republican. He is a Roman Catholic priest in the Society of Jesus, the vicar of Christ on Earth, and the 266th successor to Saint Peter. He does not see politics, society or people through the binary American lens. And as a result, he unified us, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, in communion through his inspiring words, inviting demeanor and humbling actions. It was beautiful.
It was so beautiful that the media were completely won over. Typically cynical of the Vatican, mass media outlets abandoned their early attempts to conjure up and pick apart a political agenda, moving instead to an enthusiastic embrace of Francis’s humility, holiness and love. But why? What was it about one man that was so illuminating and unifying?
Francis is no cult of personality. He is not a rock star. He puts on no spectacle and is not a celebrity in a popularity contest. He is, however, “iconic” insofar as an icon represents and leads us toward something greater than itself. We never idolize the icon but rather look through and beyond it to the ultimate attraction, which here is nothing short of the truth, beauty and goodness of God himself.
Pope Francis is attractive because of the way he enlivens in each of us, deep down, that innate and immutable human yearning for the transcendent. He brings out of us the insuppressible desire to Turn Upward. When Francis speaks of a Gospel of non-violence, community and collaborative human interaction, he is touching on the spiritual dimension of each person. When he speaks of the equality of all persons, he is not referring to our material composition, as we all differ in talents and circumstance, but of our equality in the eyes of God and the love that God has for each unique person.
Francis does not merely sermonize but also sets a moral example through his actions. He is the first to call himself a sinner and to ask others to pray for him. Francis has presented — in a tangible way — what it means to live and treat others as the imago Dei, one worthy of full dignity and respect. He engages every one of the millions of people that he meets as a “someone” who has goals, ideas and real, lived experiences and not as “something” to be used instrumentally or placed at the disposal of another. The Pope’s public appearances and private meetings with both privileged leaders and those on the margin — the homeless, imprisoned and sick — demonstrate the power of his moral vision. And his natural joy and friendliness demonstrate the fulfillment found in that way of life.
What drives Francis’s appeal? A robust, living presentation of objective truth. Indeed, all of Francis’s moral exhortations — from our human responsibilities to be stewards of the environment and inclusive economically and socially to his emphases on the sacredness of life at all stages and the complementarity of men and women — are grounded in “a moral law written into human nature itself.” It is from this natural moral law, this rational human participation in the Eternal Reason, that all of Francis’s grace and humility flow. And he invites us, too, to join him in that blissful participation in Truth.
The Catholic Church is amidst a “New Evangelization,” which calls for new ardor, new expression and new methods in communicating to the world the joy of the Gospel. It seeks to renew enthusiasm for its timeless, 2000-year old message with roots 3,500 years deep. It aims to reinvigorate with the splendor of Truth societies that have turned away from the transcendent and inward upon themselves. “The world’s Pope,” Saint Pope John Paul II, who visited 129 countries as pontiff, initiated the New Evangelization, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI moved it forward.
Last week, Pope Francis — the people’s Pope — put the New Evangelization on full display. The American response was overwhelmingly positive. The media loved it. The politicians loved it. The American public loved it, especially Millennials, our generation, the generation sometimes labeled “areligious.” For just six days, it seemed as if the pause button had been pressed on the bickering and politicking. Francis presented faith, hope and love as they are: liberating, empowering and beautiful. He illuminated the reality of the fulfillment experienced when we calibrate our moral and spiritual compasses upward, beyond mere utility maximization or absolute self-autonomy.
Now, in the wake of Francis’s departure from our shores, let us embrace the joy and humility that Francis modeled so well, even though those qualities may seem contradictory to 21st century, uber-individualist Americans. Even more, let us embrace the infinite in truth, beauty and goodness — the transcendent and immanent God — to which Francis’s every word and deed point. Truly, we would honor the people’s Pope by living according to our own national motto, in God we trust.
William Rooney is a Trinity senior. His column runs on alternate Wednesdays.
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