Habemus Papam!

If we haven't made it too obvious in previous posts, we are devoutly Catholic. While I wasn't terribly shocked at the news of Benedict XVI's resignation, I was surprised at the timing. If anything I would have expected him to resign during Easter or Ordinary Time. While many people will debate his legacy, I think the more important thing to us as Catholics is that the Bishop of Rome, as successor of St. Peter is the visible sign of communion. Catholics all over the world are united as a family, and the Bishop of Rome is our "papa." 

Like any good family, we have our disagreements and arguments. We have "those" family members (you know, the ones you secretly wish weren't a part of the family). We have members of the family who wish the family was more "liberal" or more "conservative." We have rebellious members, fiercely loyal members, and everything in between. We have the arrogant members who seem to never admit wrongdoing. We have the humble members who don't seek praise. We have rich family members and poor family members. Just like most families, we still get together despite our differences and have "thanksgiving dinner." Eucharist is the sacrificial meal that brings us all together. Knowing that we are joined to each other all over the world by that sacrament, we are visibly united by the invisible grace we receive from the sacrament. We are in communion with our priests and bishop, who are in communion with the Bishop of Rome, and that global communion is a sign to the world of Christ's love. 

I think it is amazing that every major news outlet watched in wonder as 115 men processed into the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Bishop of Rome last week. What an awesome opportunity for us as Catholics to share with the world what we believe! It was even cooler to know that a camera was aimed at a chimney (with a guest seagull) for a day and a half. I was at work when the white smoke appeared, and our wifi is spotty, so when I tried to watch the announcement on my CNN mobile app, I heard, "Habemus Papam... Franciscum." The video never streamed, so I had to read a news story later to find out that Jorge Maria Cardinal Bergoglio, SJ of Buenos Aires, Argentina was our new Pope. As a big fan of the Jesuits and their spirituality, I was happy that one of them was elected to lead the Church. If you haven't heard, the Jesuits take the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, but also a special vow to serve the Pope wherever they are needed. Jesuits don't usually accept positions of authority in the Church, so to be a Jesuit and a Pope is a truly unique position.

What Does This Have to do With Poverty?

From the moment I heard the broken, "Franciscum," I knew immediately the new pontiff had chosen to identify with St. Francis of Assisi. I secretly wondered why he hadn't chosen "Ignatius" in honor of the founder of his order, but I knew the ultimate meaning behind "Francis." St. Francis was the man who rejected his family's wealth and lived a simple life. St. Francis was also a proponent of reform within the Church. Both of those things are very much needed right now. 

When I started to read about Pope Francis' life as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, I knew we would see a very different vision of what the hierarchy of the Church should be. This is a man who lived in a small apartment, cooked his own meals, and rode the bus. He visited the poor and ministered to them. Indeed, in the first week of his pontificate, Francis is putting his (lack of) "money where his mouth is." He is a man who will model the role of Christ, "to serve and not be served." In essence, Pope Francis is calling us as Christians to "be Christ" in the world around us. I love the story he told of choosing the name Francis:

During the election, I was seated next to the Archbishop Emeritus of São Paolo and Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy, Cardinal Claudio Hummes: a good friend, a good friend! When things were looking dangerous, he encouraged me. And when the votes reached two thirds, there was the usual applause, because the Pope had been elected. And he gave me a hug and a kiss, and said: “Don't forget the poor!” And those words came to me: the poor, the poor. Then, right away, thinking of the poor, I thought of Francis of Assisi.

"Don't forget the poor!"

We live in a world that has become increasingly obsessed with wealth and celebrity. How many stories do we hear of people going "from rags to riches"? How many of those people remember where they came from? How many of us remember the poor? Here is the leader of a 1.2 billion member organization being reminded of his obligation to the poor. Here is the leader of a 1.2 billion member organization reminding the 1.2 billion of our obligation to the poor.

I think a big part of this living in poverty experience is understanding the poor. It would be easy to donate to charity and hope the problems of poverty cease, but to actually live life in their shoes gives us a deeper understanding of the situation. Next year, when we aren't living in poverty, we must still remember what it was like. We must continue to be compassionate toward the poor. We must continue to identify with them as Jesus did.

I pray that Pope Francis will help remind all of us that we are to take care of "the least of these" (cf. Matt. 25:40).