Still Possible To See

Caroline Farrow writes:

At the end of the month former popes John XXIII and John Paul II will be canonised and I am eagerly counting down the days!

The excitement isn’t merely due to the weekend itself, which promises to be one of the Catholic highlights of 2014, with millions of the faithful due to assemble in Rome, nor the sheer colour of the ceremonies.

Actually what I am looking forward to is once again seeing the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, take centre stage with his successor Francis in celebrating the Church’s official recognition that his former much-loved master is indeed in heaven in the company of all the angels and saints.

An unfortunate tendency amongst Catholics of all flavours is to attempt to divide people into camps, expressing an admiration for Benedict is taken to mean that you regard the allegedly more liberal Francis with suspicion, whereas any support for Francis means that you are glad that the supposed old dinosaur Benedict is no longer in charge!

An affection for both men is not mutually exclusive. Francis is not actually saying anything doctrinally different from Benedict.

His style of papacy may be entirely different, but it’s still possible to appreciate that both men are assets to the Church.

The prospect of seeing Pope Benedict once more causes my heart to skip a beat, because this time last year we were led to believe that we would never again see him in this life as he would live out his last days in prayerful retreat.

I remember on his last day in office, I was called by Sky News to be the ‘presenter’s friend’, sitting on the sofa offering commentary as he departed by helicopter to Castel Gandolfo.

I was disappointed to be unable to accept the offer as my husband had an important seminary interview and we had no available childcare.

But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because, instead of offering some sage or informed insights, I would have instead been a blubbering wreck.

Watching the footage a year later has lost none of its potency – one of the things that Pope Benedict was so frequently criticised for was his apparent lack of media savvy, and yet as we saw him joyfully state “I am simply a pilgrim beginning his last leg of his pilgrimage here on this Earth”, it would have taken a heart of stone not to be moved by his sincerity, warmth, humility and love.

Probably not the most apt comparison and quite ironic in the light of the later conclave, but it brought to mind the moving closing scene in Evita where Eva Peron sings “while it may get harder, for you to see me, I’m Argentina and always will be”.

Benedict was expressing the same sentiment, he would always love the Church and would continue to work for and be a part of the Church but in a very different way.

It’s wonderful therefore that Pope Francis has enticed his predecessor out of self-imposed exile on big occasions such as the recent consistory of cardinals, which was billed as being a ‘dress-rehearsal’ for the canonisation Mass.

While one can understand Benedict’s reasons for wanting to withdraw from public life, not wishing to be seen to be influencing or undermining the current Pope, persuading him out of seclusion was a wise move by Francis, for more than one reason.

Firstly, it shows the continuation of the papacy, it’s hard for critics of Francis to claim that Benedict ‘would be spinning in his grave’ were he to have continued at the helm until his death.

Benedict’s presence signals both continuity and, in the case of the consistory of cardinals, even approval.

His physical presence is a concrete reminder to the faithful that he is still there praying for the Church and he is not some sort of outcast, having been left to rot away, forgotten.

Secondly, Francis has alluded to the fact that Benedict’s unprecedented retirement may not be an isolated occurrence.

The office or institution of Pope Emeritus has now been created which is something to which the faithful need to acclimatise themselves.

The sight of two living popes side-by-side together will perhaps in a few generations no longer seem so historic or unusual.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, Francis has once again modelled an example of Christian and familial values.

Age does not preclude wisdom and, in speaking about Benedict, Francis refers to Benedict’s wisdom as a gift from God.

Comparing Benedict to an elderly (although there is not that much difference in their ages) and respected grandparent, he said that their wisdom and advice should be much valued, it gives strength to families and they do not deserve to end up in a nursing home.

It’s a theme he echoed earlier in this week when he was interviewed by a group of five young Belgian Catholics in the Vatican.

“The elderly are pushed away, many elderly die because of a sort of hidden euthanasia, because no one cares for them and they die.”

Pope Benedict has contributed so much to the Catholic Church.

It is a measure of Francis’ all-encompassing Christ-like love which ensures that his predecessor remains centre stage and at the heart of every family gathering.