The Pope is dead. As I might do for anyone, I hope that he rests in peace, and in his case, that all that he hopes for thereafter might be fulfilled.
I am aware that hundreds of millions of Catholics around the world will mourn his death.
I am equally aware that within the Vatican, and beyond, the plotting to replace this relatively progressive Pope with someone deeply conservative who might pursue policies profoundly contrary to the long history of relatively progressive Catholic social teaching will be beginning.
In this context, I am sorry that one of the last meetings that the Pope had on earth was with J D Vance. I really would not wish that on anyone. He represents, as a born-again Catholic, what appears to be the very worst of Catholic thinking at this point in time. It is, quite literally, impossible to reconcile the teachings of Jesus, whatever you might think him to be, with the idea of a white, male, theocratic and autocratic role, but that is what Vance would seem to wish to do. In doing so, he would appear to have joined those who have abused religion for the sake of personal advancement over centuries and millennia.
I cannot be alone in having watched Conclave relatively recently. That is an excellent film. I wouldn't be at all surprised if I watched it again, quite soon. There is much in it about the fight of the left and right in the Catholic Church, and the need for a Pope who believes in the sincerity of biblical teaching. I touched on the core of that in a blog post yesterday, again, I stress, without in any way suggesting that anyone should subscribe to the Christian faith.
What I am sure of is that in a world where fascism is advancing rapidly, the last thing we need is another fascist Pope. We have, after all, had at least one in the last century, and too many others antithetical to the best interest of the majority of people in the world. This fight is, therefore, critical at present.
Popes wield widespread, decidedly non-religious power. Their influence should be positive, but like most human constructs (and the office of Pope is just that), it is open to abuse. The risk of that is very high at present. In that case, I suggest that in whatever form you might pray (and in my opinion, prayer is, among other things, a meditative consideration of meaningful action), I suggest you do so for a Papal succession dedicated to the interests of people, and not theocratic power.
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One doesn’t need a belief in the metaphysical to have a good and worthwhile morality.
However, I have met Buddhists, Anglicans, Muslims, and many others who in their practice of compassion and commitment to others have more in common with each other than with the theocratic types you mention.
Agreed
Let us hope so.
There is just too much to be endured at the moment everywhere it seems.
Endured for the rich, for authoritarian power, for vested interests, the furtherance of ignorance and a deep disrespect for empathy.
We don’t need to endure; we need to change.
The question is always which biblical teaching, isn’t it ? That of the sermon on the mount, and the expulsion of the merchants and money changers from the temple ? – or that of the mass murder at Jericho ?
Oh yes, and the Bible is not a Haynes car repair manual nor was it ever meant to be – it is a story of an ongoing and costly relationship.
But even fundamentalists who DO tend to use it more like an easy to interpret rule book, or instruction manual, still pick and choose. And I’m not sure whether Trump’s MAGA “Christians” read or study it much at all.
The Centre for the Study of the Bible and Violence does a lot of good work in that area.
https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/
The “Christ at the Checkpoint” conference also wrestles with such issues from the sharp end:
https://christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.edu/
I’m working my way through some of last year’s CSBV conference videos from Bethlehem. The 2023 conference I was able to attend in person, in Bristol. Never to be forgotten, and very uncomfortable as well as hopeful and inspiring.
Funnily enough whenever I’ve opened a Haynes manual I’ve always found it to be exactly “a story of an ongoing and costly relationship.”
I’m sad about his passing, he was a force for good at a time when the world was, and is moving towards the bad.
J D Vance was his last official visitor on earth, oh to have been a fly on the wall!
Some mischievous facts about the conclave.
Cardinals didn’t always have to have been priests before becoming cardinals, but they do now (since 1917).
The papal nominee doesn’t have to be a priest either, merely a baptised male. Nor does he have to be a cardinal (1379, Urban VI wasn’t a cardinal) but he will then need to be ordained priest and bishop pretty quickly prior to appointment – as the Bishop of Rome).
In theory, he doesn’t even have to be a Catholic at the time of nomination.
So, you never know….
(Unlike Jim Hacker, I won’t be waiting by the phone.)
I also recommend the film “Conclave” – a powerful morality tale, and far wider in application than just the mechanics of appointing a new pope. I found it very moving.
The Coptic Orthodox choose their Pope (the Bishop or Patriarch of Alexandria) by getting a blindfolded child to literally pull a name out of a chalice (from a longlist of 5 or 6 prepared by a council, whittled down by elections to a shortlist of 3 by a grand assembly).
That worked out well last time apparently, with Pope Tawadros II being much respected and admired as a genuinely good and wise man.
I pray daily for the overthrow of tyrants and the promotion of people of peace.
But as Palestinian Christians say, “Prayer is not enough, it must lead to action!.”
Thanks
My big takeaway from the film Conclave was that those who most want to be the Pope are likely to be the least suitable for the role. Perhaps that applies more generally, too.
“those who most want to be the Pope are likely to be the least suitable for the role. Perhaps that applies more generally, too.”
DIdn’t old Groucho have a line about not wanting to be part of any club that would have him as a member?
On a more recent note, an atavistic part of me was delighted when “Lord” Coe was roundly rejected in the vote for International Olympic Committee President, a job I’m sure he complacently always assumed he’d walk into. But the Global South had other ideas – as increasingly they are where the West is concerned.
He said quite clearly that one atrocity on Oct 7th did not justify another ongoing atrocity in Gaza
“I do know with absolute certainty that there are transnational intelligence operations in the works to make sure they select a more reliable supporter of Israel. They’ve probably been working on it since his health started failing.”
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/the-pope-has-died-and-the-palestinian?fbclid=IwY2xjawJzb-hleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHmzWw7CmxFci-9pvknZ4mqD5JVXjwrPMJy8QrGnbSI5SfdDwN7v9S6k-Ehzm_aem_8UGljvMLQ1B88KXw5aC4jw
Cait gets it right so often. The MSM do not: predictably, they are making little of his support for the Palestinians. Yet he used his last address, his Easter Sunday address, to call for peace in Palestine, and every night called the Catholic parish in Gaza to check on the priests and parishioners. Pope Francis was specific and detailed in his concerns (an encyclical on climate change, for example) but the MSM are concentrating on generalising matters – the poor and the vulnerable, they drone, losing that sharpness of focus which demands a reaction and positive action. We got lucky with this Pope. Our luck has run out.