THE VIEW FROM RIZAL

As I write this column, there is a steady stream of media reports that the head of the Catholic Church is in critical condition and that the Catholic faithful all over the world are praying for the healing and recovery of the much-loved and sometimes controversial Pope Francis.

I join our Catholic countrymen in this prayer, though I may not share the totality of the doctrinal beliefs of our Catholic brethren as I have preferred a more Bible-based approach to the understanding and practice of our faith.

Despite the differences, I am among many who have much admiration and respect for this Pontiff who is revered by Catholics as the successor of Saint Peter. Among the many reasons for such admiration is the fact that amid the issues hounding the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has bravely stood up as an advocate of reform, as a voice of compassion, and as a symbol of solidarity with the world’s disadvantaged sectors.

While others may not subscribe to the idea of the “infallibility” of the Pope, many have seen in Pope Francis an example of what a Christian might be in the modern age: not exempted from making mistakes, but still doing his best to be the answer to the question, “What might Jesus do in this situation?”

For example, in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, Pope Francis etched an indelible figure in the consciousness of our countrymen by “showing up” and “standing with” the people of Tacloban City — exactly what Jesus, perhaps, would do in that situation. He did so despite the distance and the danger of that trip. He gave substance once more to the thousand-year-old faith of Christians in the promise of Christ that “Lo, I will always be with you.” He provided proof to the claim of Saint Paul expressed in his Letter to the Romans that “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord,” including “tribulation or distress.”

What might Jesus do in the face of angry debates on the issues of the times? The Bible shows us that Jesus would make a bold, strong statement and will stand alongside the poor and the marginalized. In a way, Pope Francis reminded us of what Jesus might say and do in these situations as he became the first Pope to hold a public dialogue with the LGBTQ community.

His words to the leaders of this community may have been what Jesus himself would say to them:

“God is Father and he does not disown any of his children. And the style of God is closeness, mercy, and tenderness. Along this path you will find God.”

“God is close to and loves each and every one of his children. His heart is open to all. He is the Father,” Pope Francis wrote to the LGBTQ+ community in another occasion. In so doing, he gave an example of how one can be a moral leader — not condemning, but reminding everyone of the timeless truth engraved in scripture that “God is love,” and that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Pope Francis also took positions on global issues of today, among them, the role of women, the environment, the youth, the impact of the Digital Age, and the health of the world’s population. In so doing, he attracted much attention and earned the ire of many. No other Pope in history must have received as many direct verbal assault as this Pope, given the fact that he sat in the seat of Peter in the age of digital social media.

It is interesting that Pope Francis, who hails from Argentina, is one of a handful of heads of the Catholic Church to have come from a so-called “third world country.”

A review of the list of Popes since the time of Saint Peter would show that an overwhelming majority of them were Italians. The second biggest number of Popes were French, followed by Germans. Some three of them were Africans, a couple were Croatians and one hailed from Poland.

That he is from a third world country is significant. After all, the Catholic Church is growing faster in the poorer countries of the world even as observers note the declining number of church membership in the rich countries of Europe.

When he was elected Pope, some of our elders were heard saying, “he does not look like a King.” They said some of the Popes who they knew in the past had the appearances of monarchs: tall, lean, regal, and blessed with aquiline noses. Pope Francis does not look like them. He looks ordinary. Were he not garbed in the attire of the Pontiff, he would be mistaken for an ordinary parish priest of a small, poor parish in a third world country.

In a way, he serves as an illustration of the intention of what God did when he became man in Christ Jesus. He did not choose to present himself as an emperor nor a king, not as a conquering general nor as the world’s richest, most powerful person.

The Bible explains in Philippians that Christ existed “in the form of God,” but “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Instead, he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.” The writer added, “he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.” Pope Francis was appropriate for our era when the world no longer needed kings but leaders who walked with and looked like ordinary men.

We do not know how history will judge Pope Francis. We doubt if he will make it to the top of the list of the “most popular Popes of all times.” What we know is that his actions and words show he is attempting to follow in the footsteps of his Lord.

Are we not called to do the same?

(The author is the mayor of Antipolo City, former Rizal governor, DENR assistant secretary and LLDA general manager. Email: [email protected])