Our Pope's Anger Problem

I am unaccustomed to so much negative energy from a pope. He is mad at capitalists, monsignors, pious people who count their rosaries for spiritual bouquets, cardinals who have chauffers instead of taking the bus, and people obsessed with culture war issues. He has quite a chip on his shoulder. Maybe it is his background: he comes from a Latin society that is prone to violence and extreme class consciousness and he was probably wounded, in his heart and soul, but that horrific Argentinian civil war. My problem, though, is that he has gotten my goat: I am mad that he is so mad. I am annoyed that he is harsh, moralistic and dismissive. I need to be patient with myself and with him, with my anger and with his. But more importantly, I need to surrender more deeply, every day and every hour, to the unfathomable positivity of the love of Christ, to the reality of eternal life, of the boundless steam of mercy. Have mercy upon us, Lord: Have mercy upon this pontiff, poor sinner that he is; have mercy upon me, a sinner in desperate need of you!

I Am Not Trustworthy, But My Network Is!

David DeSteno, psychologist writing in the Jan 19, 2014 "Sunday Review" of the NY Times, has it right: the self is NOT to be trusted. I cannot trust myself because my present-self is different from my future-self. For example, the resolution of my Sunday-morning-self to drink less the following Saturday night may be irrelevant to my Saturday-night-self. The self is fickle, volatile and entirely unreliable...even for those who appear to be stable and steady. What is the solution? Relationship!...and relationships...actually, a network of relationships. As a believer, my salvation is in my personal relationship with my Lord, Jesus Christ. But today I am thinking about the broader network of relationships, of which he is the foundation. A man is as good, as strong, as reliable as his NETWORK of relationships. It is this network that supports, encourages, heals, corrects, protects, guides, invigorates, inspires and shelters me. And so...If you see me as good, reliable, trustworthy...it is not due to qualities that inhere in me. It is because I am well connected with many good relationships and so I am constantly being refreshed and restored in goodness and truth. I am blessed with an awesome network: spouse and family, friendships, work connections. I am protected by a spiritual director, a (12-step-type of) sponsor, confession weekly, daily mass and adoration, and the entire sacramental network of the Catholic Church. I brag brazenly of my network. Every day I pray: "Make me trustworthy, as I place all my trust in you." I might add: "Make me trustworthy as I trust in these marvelous relationships!"

Our Brown World

In Jersey City, where I live, whites are a minority of 21% (we were about 70% when I immigrated here from Essex County in 1971), blacks (Afro-Americans) are a minority of 25%, the majority are various shades of brown (Asian, Hispanic, Arabic, and so forth.) We live in a Brown World. The black/white model no longer applies. It is all complicated, nuanced, rich, deep and fascinating. Consider: In the USA, those who inherit the genes and culture of Southern slaves are entirely different from the darker peoples who come here directly from Africa or the islands. Our current president is NOT Afro-American: his mother was a white, cosmopolitan, secular anthropologist; his father a leftist, polygamist African...that comes out to some kind of brown. George Zimmerman is not white: he would never have been admitted to a standard, racist, elite white country club. Many Afro-Americans, who in Haiti would be "whites," are actually brown...beautifully so...think Halle Berry! It is a rich, variegated, dense world we live in. The Al Sharptons of the world need to wake up, get with the times, snap out of the "racism obsession" and smell the flowers.

Invigorated, Refreshed, Enchanted, Rejuvenated...in INNOCENCE

"Loss of Innocence" read the movie poster, the words superimposed on a vague image of a gorgeous young couple in physical intimacy. Immediately, efficaciously, the image produced its intended effect: I was inflamed within by a desire to see this movie and become lost in a fantasy of alluring, passionate, illicit sexual love. A second later I thought: Wait a minute! Innocence is a good and beautiful thing! Loss of innocence...as in sin...is ugly, depressing, dreary, tired, toxic and sickly. This poster is a romantic illusion...a falsehood...but what an alluring, powerful one!!! Innocence is fresh, pure, delightful, new, hopeful,fruitful and energetic. To be alive in Christ is to be ever-refreshingly invigorated, encouraged and rejuvenated in Innocence. Every genuine act of prayer, contrition, forgiveness, generosity and piety is an event of novelty, surprise, and renewal. Such a life is an unending adventure of romance, excitement and serendipity! We have lost our innocence...but not completely. The innocence of original creation was weakened and wounded by the first sin in the garden, but not destroyed...is survives, and awaits revival. Our baptismal innocence is corrupted and weakened by every single sin, but for many of us is not annihilated, but endures, sick and impoverished, awaiting renewal. Life in Christ...communion with Him in sacrament, prayer, and companionship...is the never-ending and ever-new drama of refreshment and transformation in innocence. Our Lady is the epitome of such purity and youth...she is "younger than sin"...a fount of energy and fecundity. In union with our Vine and through the influence of our Mother, let us grow each day in innocence!

Is Pope Francis Anti-clerical?

Pope Benedict was quintessentially clerical, in the very best sense; Pope John Paul II was non-clerical, to his credit; and Pope Francis is anti-clerical, in a mostly helpful way. Let me explain: "clericalism" as I am using the term refers to the dense, complex, multi-valued culture that arises inevitably when we have a special group, a caste, set aside for special purposes with extraordinary powers, status and responsibilities. I am using it in an objective, anthropological sense: without immediate moral judgment...it is not necessarily good or bad, but is a sociological, organizational fact. As Catholics, we see that our priests are invested with greater than special or even super powers, they have supernatural power: they forgive sin and feed us the bread of eternal life, in the Word and in the Flesh. They are specially chosen: must be intelligent, male, psychologically healthy, morally exemplary and capable of providing intellectual-spiritual leadership. They receive an extended education in a protected, specialized environment. They receive immense reverence from the faithful because of who they represent (Christ himself) and what they do (give us eternal life.) And so, Catholicism essentially entails a distinctive clerical caste, culture, garb, education, and complex system of abilities, virtues, and attitudes. Fundamentally,since it is essential for the Church, clericalism is a good thing. But like all such good but human things (democracy, capitalism, marriage, government, and patriarch-properly-understood), it is subject to abuse and corruption. And so we have a negative type of clericalism: arrogance, distance from the laity, misogyny, formalism, moralism, and so forth. This, of course, breeds a reactive anti-clericalism, which is not necessarily a bad thing. A certain lighthearted, mellow, affectionate anti-clericalism is necessary for a wholesome Catholic life as it corrects and balances the tendency to treat our priests as privileged princes. When I was studying in a college-seminary, a wise man warned me that the laity systematically spoil seminarians and priests by treating them with unusual respect and engendering a quiet, unrecognized pride and arrogance. I was being innoculated with a mild, salutary "anti-clericalism" in order to strengthen in me a more humble priestly identity: it is not me, but Christ in me! I recommend that we view our new pontiff in this light: he has a personal allergy to clerical privilege, careerism, and arrogance; he has an urgent longing to be close to the poor, the alienated, the lost sheep. As a Jesuit, he is already steeped in a non-clerical, if not anti-clerical, tradition: Ignatius did not want his disciples to climb a career ladder into the hierarchy; Jesuits endure an extended time of formation, education and ministry, specifically as Jesuits, long before they are ordained. Their charism involves a muted anti-clericalism which is meant to enhance their priesthood, as a service to the baptized by de-emphasizing the caste dimension. A similar dynamic is at work in a group like the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal who embrace a blatantly, even aggressively religious and evangelical identity with priesthood a option to be considered later. The Jesuits develop, of course, their own elite, intellectual caste which is a clericalism of another sort. The liberal theology that flourished in the university and seminary after the Council entailed a hostile anti-clericalism, as the efficacy of sacrament and word was disparaged; but ironically, it was displaced by counterfeit, corrupted clericalism as priests assumed roles as self-designated "prophets" in regard to social justice and psychology became invested with salvific powers. The sexual abuses by priests were not rooted in clericalism, but in the weakness of the flesh, the sexual revolution, and the lies of Satan. But the cover-up by the bishops and their collaborators was, for many, more scandalous that the actual abuses. This scandal is rooted in clericalism: an anxiety for the reputation of the institutional Church, an exaggerated loyalty to fellow clerics, a distance from and distrust of the victims and their families, a failure to realistically evaluate the evil in clerical circles, and a failure of humility and contrition. Recent developments in our clerical culture are complex; there is a return to the sacramental, and a retreat from the political-psychological secular clericalism; later vocations mean priests with better developed personal identities already as adult laymen and therefore less vulnerable to immature types of clericalism; aspirants generally have a "thicker" appreciation of Catholicism in its counter-cultural aspects and are therefore more clerical in the classic Catholic sense; the scandal has depleted the Catholic priesthood of social status, has humiliated it and hopefully humbled it. Which brings us back to our three prototypical popes. John Paul was larger than clericalism. His identity was formed as an actor, a nationalist, a poet, a scholar, a culture-warrior, a mystic, and an activist...before his priesthood. Even his seminary training took place in hiding in Nazi-occupied Poland: hardly a cozy place of clerical privilege. He was a leader, a saint, a hero, a titan of a man...and miraculously transcended both clericalism and anti-clericalsm. Benedict, by contrast, is clerical from head to toe, in a most beautiful and exemplary way: he dresses, speaks, prays and lives a most priestly life. He does this with a most quiet humility...in contrast to the vaunted humility of Francis which is, in contrast, showy, aggressive, harsh, cocky and judgmental. His taste is classical, refined, baroque and a masterful blend of high culture, erudition and holiness. Francis is different. (Note: I have shifted to a "first-name" basis, expressing my own non-clericalism!) His is an almost Maoist identification with the poor and a hatred for privilege: in the clergy, in capitalists, and in cultural warriors who come across as preachy, superior, and moralistic. This can all be disheartening for our priests, hard working entrepreneurs, and champions of marriage and the unborn. But I prefer to take it in a more positive light: as a correction of our inevitable tendencies to pride; as a purification; as a call to humility. Let us all...priests, conservatives, businessmen...enter our plea: "We are guilty as charged, as charged by our scrutinizing pope!!! We are not humble, not in love with the poor, not generous enough!!!We repent!!!" If we place the three pontiffs in union with each other...in a hermeneutic of continuity...we see Catholic clericalism in all its mystery, depth and richness...its sinfulness and weakness, its splendor and truth, and its transcendence, sanctification and illumination by the humble high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Joy of Evangelizing

The recent Apostolic Exhortation from Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, is inspired and inspiring, delightful and thrilling. It burns passionately with love for Christ, our Lord and Savior, and for the poor. It practically explodes with evangelical fervor. It is single-minded and resolutely focused on The Essential: love for our Lord, and love for the brother and sister. It is firmly, unambiguously in continuity with previous pontiffs: There are 217 footnotes, all from popes, the Second Vatican Council or classics like Augustine and Aquinas. Direct quotations from John Paul and Benedict may number close to 100. This is no maverick pope! Sections of it are worthy of spiritual reading and meditation; others are striking for their originality and provocativeness. For example, he notes that as we go forth to evangelize the poor, we are ourselves evangelized by their responsiveness, faith, patience and love. No ecclesiastical triumphalism here! Just the victory of the Cross! The section on homily preparation must be required reading for all priests. John Paul is quoted: "To be human is to be son of a culture and father of a culture." Now that is something to mull over. He is visceral in his disgust for the culture of affluence and consumerism, indifference to the poor and social inequality. But this is entirely in accord with previous papal statements, not to mention the rage of the prophets, Church fathers and Jesus himself. He identifies abortion as a moral abomination and matter-of-factly indicates that woman priests is not open to discussion and explains why in a succinct manner. It is appropriately labeled an "exhortation" and does not pretend to be a complete teaching. Like all things human, it is limited and finite; just as its author, our dear sweet Vicar of Christ, is himself limited and finite. This man is a lover, a zealot, a man on fire with the Holy Spirit. He does not have the depth, breath, sophistication, nuance and "catholicity" manifest in his two brilliant predecessors. In his admirable single-mindedness, he pays scant attention to dramatic, significant realities: the absolute need, of the poor especially, for a cult of sexual fidelity and chastity; the primacy of worship and liturgy, even over mission; ambiguous, not univocally evil, nature of global capitalism and the need for a complicated, nuanced, social ethic of subsidiarity as well as solidarity; the ominous alliance of the expansive state and an imperial ethos of sexual license; and our own emergent, promising friendship with evangelical and pentecostal streams of Christianity. We will want to become inflamed with his zeal, and complement that with the wisdom of his two predecessors.

Our Pope

Unlike his predecessors, he is no wordsmith; he is not a brilliant theologian; he will not be a doctor of the Church. Like his namesake from Assisi, he teaches…not with words…but with actions, with his life. He is my father; and I love him! Entirely in communion and continuity with the prior dual-pontificate in substance, he is a refreshing change in style. At his election I was glad the Cardinals did not choose an outstanding theologian because the legacy of our previous two is so rich it will take 100 years to assimilate. He is free, spontaneous, unscripted, raw, human, fallible, genuine, and free. He is awkward and goofy, but in a disarmingly gracious manner. The Church, because of its invincible unity, has a genius for diversity (catholicity): whether it is parish, diocese or papacy, the change of regime is always a reversal…the crack administrator replaces an incompetent one, the saint is followed by a man of the world, a slacker by a workaholic, and the scholar by an anti-intellectual. Always on offer: something new, fresh, surprising, annoying, upsetting, challenging and consoling! He calls us out of complacency to move to the fringes, to the poor, to the marginalized. He realizes, I hope, how much so many of us are ourselves poor and weak, desperately in need of being strengthened in our families, communities, prayer and inner selves. The centripetal and centrifugal energies of the Holy Spirit need to fructify each other: we cannot give away our riches and become poor until we are rich in faith. But he is my father; and I love him! He is refreshing. He is free. He teaches by his way, not by his words. He shoots from the hip; he has loose lips; he says silly things. We will have to get used to him: comments thrown off on an airplane or in an interview are very far from the infallibility of the Chair. He is my father. And I love him! He insults and scandalizes precisely those who love him the most: those who sent him spiritual bouquets, those who would protect the life of the innocent, the chastity of the young, and the integrity of the family. But he is human…a poor sinner, fallible and weak…and so I love him and forgive him and support him. He is my father, and I love him! He is my captain, my king, and I follow him. The editors of AMERICA magazine are happy that he speaks like a brother not a king. But I do not need another buddy; I have plenty. I need a Father, a King, a genuine Authority figure! My father’s cousin Walter, who had lost his Catholic faith, had occasion to see Pope Pius XII during WWII and said: “He seems like a nice fellow.” Nice fellows and buddies are a dime a dozen! In my pope I want a father, not a buddy. He is my father, even if he doesn't always speak that way, and I love him! He cares about the poor and seems to dismiss concerns about sexuality and marriage. I hope he realizes that, at least in the USA, poverty is mainly rooted in infidelity, betrayal and unchastity. The poor desperately need the full Gospel…especially the Theology of the Body. I hope that he will advance, rather than ignore (with most of his Jesuit brothers) this precious body of work by our soon-to-be-Saint-John-Paul! Despite his neglect and imperfection, he is my father and I love him! He is worried that the Church come across as a body of detached rules, mostly about sex. In my world, we have been afflicted, from the pulpit, for half a century by a steady stream of moralism of the “do-gooder” social activist type…and complete silence about chastity of the body, mind and spirit. His own remarks could be understood to affirm this catastrophe, although that is not his intent. Wisdom is not his strong suit, but he is my father. And I love him. His political economics are just about right…in the Catholic middle…infatuated with neither the free market nor the expansive state…he values solidarity, subsidiarity and liberty…and cares deeply for the least. He is my leader, my captain, my exemplar…and I follow him. We, especially the lay faithful, will have to complement and correct his magisterium as this loving and holy man is markedly deficient as authoritative teacher of the faith. But he is my father; and I love him!