Takin’ it to the Streets

          There’s a lot of buzz about the interview of Pope Francis that was published earlier today by the Italian Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica. You can find an English version of the full interview by following this link to America Magazine. In the interview, Pope Francis speaks openly, honestly, frankly and very personally about some of the hot-button issues facing the Church today. Notwithstanding what may be said in the mainstream media over the next few days, the Pope doesn't introduce any new Catholic teachings in the interview. Everything he says about Church teachings is already in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The interview is, nonetheless, extraordinary. It’s extraordinary because rather than speaking from the lofty heights of papal dignity, this Pope speaks to us as one human being to another. And by doing so, he’s bringing Christ’s Church to the people it’s meant to serve. He’s taking it to the streets.

          We meet a very human Pope in this interview, a Pope who defines himself first with the words, “I am a sinner.” The Pope a sinner? Heaven forfend! But with those four words Francis becomes a Pope we can relate to - one who seems to understand that life is tough and we’re not always able to make the best choices. By speaking openly about mistakes he’s made, Francis reveals himself as a flawed human being, just like the rest of us. In Francis, the Pope is no longer an institution; he’s a human being.

          We've seen Pope Francis’ human touch before. From his first words from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis has encouraged us to feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, welcome the immigrant, console the mourning and pray for peace for all mankind. And just this morning, he implored his bishops to be close to their flocks, to “smell like their sheep” and not to allow the trappings of their office to distance them from the real problems people face. If his papacy to date could be summed up in two words, they would be “human dignity.” In Pope Francis’ words, “We must always consider the person.” Pope Francis has set the barque of Saint Peter on its proper course: the preservation, protection and defense of human dignity. But more importantly, he directs the Church toward the one Morning Star who never sets – Jesus Christ – our God who became man so he could live the human experience with us.

          For the Church to promote human dignity, it has to live in the modern world; it has to meet people where they are. This is what Pope John XXIII set out to do through the Second Vatican Council – to update the Church, to define its role in the modern world and to preach the Gospel in a way that’s relevant to the circumstances we face today. Many question when the Council will be fully implemented. Pope Francis’ message seems to be that the time is now. It’s time to “make waves.” It’s time to be a Church that “is home to all.” It’s time to “heal the wounds.” It’s time to “accompany [people] with mercy.” It’s time to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the streets.