Bridgefolk perspectives on Pope Francis
One meaning of the word “pontiff,” as some have pointed out, is “bridge-builder,” and there was much speculation going into the conclave that the need for a pope to bridge geological and ideological divides in the worldwide Catholic Church would be a prominent concern on the cardinals’ minds. Electing someone with pastoral as well as managerial capabilities, who could connect the first and third world and represent the breadth and depth of Catholic teaching and praxis, seemed like a tall order, but they appear to have found their man in Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis. As an Argentinean with Italian parentage, Francis comes to the papacy with an understanding of the concerns facing the Church in multiple contexts. He has demonstrated a deep concern for the poor and marginalized which has already become a defining feature of his pontificate, while also acknowledging the “spiritual poverty” that pervades much of the industrial West. Not only does he show strong commitment to social justice as well as doctrinal soundness, he has a remarkable way of showing by word and deed that the two are inseparable.
Our affable pontiff has great potential to unify the Catholic Church, but if he is to do so, we must all do our part by resisting temptations to turn him into a polarizing figure or force him into any ideological mold. This may be a particular challenge for Catholics in the United States, steeped as we are in a dramatically polarized political and ecclesial atmosphere. No pope has been truly compatible with North American political labels, but ironically the first “New World” pope is particularly poised to give us a fresh reminder of this. His deep love for the poor and his deep commitment to the Catholic tradition cannot be set against each other, in short, because he is Catholic. Hopefully, what he teaches by example can inspire us to bridge divides in our own corners of the Catholic world.
Julia Smucker is graduate student in the School of Theology at Saint John’s University and writes for the Vox Nova website.