Saturday, April 6, 2013

Francis



      Yes, the name Francis is in the news a lot right now,  The newly elected leader of the Catholic Church has assumed the name of Francis as his own in his role as pope.  Having grown up surrounded by the traditions of Catholicism, I maintain both a knowledge and interest in what happen there (though not a sense of connection or belonging).  When I first heard that this new pope had selected this moniker, I found both interest and hope presenting themselves to me.

     As a child, I was well indoctrinated in the lore of sainthood.  In general, I enjoyed reading biographies and, trust me, there were many biographies of saints available for my reading pleasure.  Because of that background, I could immediately identify three men that the new pope might have had in mind when he selected this name:  Francis of Assisi, Francis de Sales, and Francis Ignatius of Loyola.

     I have the greatest respect and appreciation for some people I have known up close and personal who happen to be Catholics but one cannot deny the depth of controversy currently stewing in the Catholic Church.  The Church is in need of strong, compassionate, thoughtful, and forward thinking leadership. The influence of three Francises (how do you write the plural of Francis?) referenced above suggests that maybe Pope Francis the First might, just might, be that sort of leader.  St Francis of Assisi is renown for his humility, his embrace of the poor,and his love of all things in the natural world.   St Francis de Sales connected with the common person and wrote a book of prayer designed for the bust layperson who wanted to weave spirituality into his or her life.  Finally, St Francis Xavier of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, preached tolerance for other religions, believed in free education for all, and insisted on a vow of poverty for his followers.   These few word descriptions tell so little but so much about the possible direction of the Church in the upcoming years.

     Here's the thing:  why should I, or anyone who is not a practicing Catholic,  even care what this private, religious institution does?  Well, largely because it IS an international institution, with influence in educational and social welfare programs around the world.   Its policies and its culture influence social movements and developments globally, particularly in second and third world nations.   That's why I care what goes on within the Catholic Church.










11 comments:

  1. First, you are correct in placing an "es" after a word which ends in "s." Second, after reading about what the new pontiff said about gay marriage, I find I am just as alienated with the Catholic Church, as I have been since 1970, when I got my own car and no longer felt compelled to go to Sunday Mass. Talk to me after women gain the right to be priests, and men can marry and still be priests.

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    1. I was somewhat discouraged by the comments relating to gay marriage/adoption, too, Mark. I do think there are baby steps in the right direction in other areas. Obviously, I am not now, nor ever will I be, a champion of the Church, but as your wise sister said the Church has a great deal of power and influence particularly in poorer, "emerging" countries who may play larger roles in the international world in decades to come so here's hoping those baby steps continue.

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    2. Make no mistake about it, Mark, I am in no way, a supporter of the Catholic Church. I think the damage it has done vastly surpasses whatever good might have been accomplished. Sadly, whether I like it or not - and I don't - it is still a major power broker in the world.

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  2. Though I am not at all religious, I've always had something of a fascination for Saint lore--perhaps because Saints are people of great passion for something and passion is nearly always fascinating. I also get a kick out of the way people "adopt" certain Saints as something between a mentor and a mascot. I like the way that concept gives people a first name basis connection with a long-ago spiritual figure.

    As for the coverage (which I do feel was somewhat excessive at times), I had to keep reminding myself of exactly what you said--it does affect huge numbers of people on the planet and, therefore, in some way, may have a bearing on the world as a whole.

    Nice post, Gracie.

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  3. My husband was raised Catholic and as you know, I did a very brief stint of "finding my Religion." On Easter, we decided to go to Mass in honor of my mother-in-law who died a few months ago. It was my second time in a Catholic service and I didn't feel very connected to the message as it was so formal.
    I also went to see Anne Lamott speak this past week. Her talk felt more like a church service than mass and it made me want to find a church that fit me. So, maybe this quest is back on.

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  4. Ah yes, religion. Interesting that he chose the name. I was interested at the time, but now less so.

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  5. Leaving the controversy of the Catholic church aside, I found the tidbits about the three men named Francis interesting. The practices of all three would be excellent examples for Pope Francis to follow.

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  6. Who knows how an alternative history would have played out? Maybe we would all be Muslims if not for the Catholics? There are a Billion of them, more or less, and it would be nice if they went in a kinder gentler direction. Something Spiritual and staying away from little boys would be a nice change.

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  7. The choice of the name Francis is interesting.. I had a teacher in HS who was Father Francis Xavier - he was my least favorite teacher in those four years (for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to his inability to cope with questioning teenage minds). In my mind it is easier to think of the new Pope as being associated with the other two.

    I have been quite impressed with his showings of humility and concern for the less well-off. Like you said, hopefully he can make some of those small changes that will drive the Catholic church forward.

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  8. Francis seems to be in a glance more humble and open than the Popes before. However there is a long way to go particularly as your previous commenter mentioned on gay issues, on that he seems to be a more than a bit of a contradiction.

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