Pope Francis

I really liked this pope and I am saddened by his passing.

From the moment he came on the scene as the new pontiff I was surprised by his approach to the role, the church, and the world. I know others noticed the same. Regardless of your views on his office, the church, or all things in between, it would be very difficult to argue with his impact. The Catholic church was moved by and through him and the ripples were felt throughout the world. The Secretary General of the United Nations may have said it best here:

“Pope Francis was a transcendent voice for peace, human dignity and social justice.”

Those are items I would ask of any person of faith to exhibit and feel honoured to be known for them. Those are things the world yearns for in its leaders, especially in the era we are in.

Religiously speaking, I am a Christian, then I am Protestant. I grew up identifying as Mennonite schooled in faith within a small, rural Mennonite denomination and church, steeped in both the historic ethnic Flemish-German background and aspects of the faith tradition. As I moved into broader denominational and faith circles I learned of the divide between Christian sects, most notably between ‘us’ and the ‘catholics’. A question like, “Are Catholics christians?” was not foreign in many circles I dwelt in. Most of us did not know all the nuances, just enough language to know there was an ‘us’ and a ‘them’.

I now continue to claim Christ as Lord and hold to many facets of what some call the ‘Anabaptist tradition’ of faith. One of the beautiful aspects of growing in faith is a change in perspective. I discovered, and continue to rediscover, that it is better to start with what we have in common than to set up a barrier. The more voices you hear, the different contexts you throw yourself into, the varying hardships that come with just being alive, create a dichotomy we discover at every fork in the road:

• Curious: Ask questions and be open to the perspectives of others.
• Closed: Defend certain words and statements and only allow those of the same thought to speak.

It did not seem like a huge move at any time I changed my mind, it just seemed natural once I was there. I did not need to agree with every statement ever made, and could remain friends with people with whom I disagreed. Through this I realized my core beliefs, which became further and further centred, and had a better grasp of giving grace to all, and space to negotiate with others.

So, I liked Pope Francis. A lot. He embodied much of what I continue to learn to embody in my own life. Working within an institution that has plenty of history attached to it, many stumbling blocks to overcome, and more than a few closed spaces. Francis challenged and pushed for things of eternal value. A kingdom voice in times of turmoil and inhumanity. I truly do believe his testimony will live on for many years to come.