Pope Francis: Life and Revolution

 

Pope Francis: Life and Revolution by Elisabetta Pique  

One of the many fascinating things about the life of Jesus Christ is that we are taught that he was fully God and fully human at the same time.  I have to wonder at times, what did the “human” Jesus think about his destiny on earth as the son of God? Was he happy that he was the Chosen One? What struggles did “human” Jesus have?  Did he ever wish that he could just be like everyone else?  I certainly don’t think he welcomed the fact that he was to be crucified in the most barbaric way possible for the sins of mankind.  Sure, the “God” side of him understood, but the “human” side?

I mention this because in many ways this seems to be the attitude of Argentinian Bishop Jorge Bergoglio when voices start to speculate that he might be elected the next Supreme Pontiff after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Bergoglio is too old, he feels. In fact, he’s already “retired”.  Such aspirations simply don’t enter such a humble priest’s mind who simply wants to be among his people and help feed the poor and needy. You would think most cardinals of the Catholic Church, or ANY leaders of a Christian group would feel the same way, yet history and nature tell a different story.  After all, who wouldn’t want to be the “leader” of such an institution?  No matter how pious one feels his heart to be, the temptation to be center stage is just too grand for most.  Imagine a person being elected President of the U.S. who never campaigned, never even made a speech, and even told the constituents he didn’t want the job, yet gets elected anyway.  I know. Impossible.

The first three chapters of this wonderful biography show us a wonderful exception, and arguably one of the most Christ-like leaders in history.  Author Elisabetta Pique has an advantage in that she knows Bergoglio; she’s a journalist who has covered much of his activity over the years.  It’s obvious that she loves the man and holds him in very high regard.  Sometimes when I read biographies, I don’t always see this as a good thing.  A well-written biography needs to show an honest picture of the subject, and not portray him in some bright, shiny hagiographic fashion.  Yet one comes away with the feeling that her sentiments about Bergoglio are genuine.  She sees this man as most of the world sees him, and is delighted when he is elected Pope Francis in 2013.

After the first few chapters that show the transition from Cardinal Bergoglio to Pope Francis, we then go back to the beginning.  We don’t read much about Bergoglio’s early life, but we get enough to understand his nature and how his surroundings and devotion to God shape his early life.  We read a lot about the crooked Argentinian regime where Bergoglio resides, and politics and religion don’t always make good bedfellows. We read accounts where Bergoglio risks his own life to save many renegade priests as well as continue to feed the poor and the needy.  This is a man truly devoted to his mission.  To be honest, the part of the book that deals with most of Bergoglio’s travails in native Argentina could be a bit overwhelming to a reader such as myself who isn’t very familiar with the politics nor the surroundings.  There are a lot of Argentinian names of people and places thrown about, and it was hard for me to keep everything assimilated.  There’s also an awful lot of Roman Catholic nomenclature here as well, and one not familiar with the many different titles and traditions may feel a bit overwhelmed as well.

The last third of the book goes back to the beginning, and we see the beginning of the reign of Pope Francis. Sadly, there’s still a lot of politics around, and those in power aren’t quite sure what to think of a pope who refuses to live in his glorious penthouse, electing instead to reside in modest quarters for many of the lower rungs of the ladder.   This is a man who also refuses to use the “pope” limousine and chauffeur. He elects, instead, to drive his old Ford Focus around while carrying his own briefcase.  Such a humble man can be dangerous to the powerful establishment.

This part of the book, though, is the most refreshing. It gives one hope.  In an era of so much turmoil, distrust, and abuse, it truly gives one confidence to see that there is still goodness in the world.  When such goodness is elevated to the top position in the Catholic Church, you can’t help but hope and pray that such materialistic trends can reverse, and a sense of decency and goodness can perhaps prevail.

We don’t get to read too much about his papal initiatives though. A slight drawback to this book is that it was written only one year into Francis’s papacy.  So 20 years from now, one won’t really be able to look back at this book as being the “definitive” biography.  There will still be so much more to tell. Most hope that the reforms of Francis will continue to focus on grace, charity, and goodness while pushing dogma and rigidness a bit further down on the priority meter.  In an era with so much darkness in the hearts of people and their leaders, one hopes that this man’s light of optimism and compassion will continue to shine, becoming brighter and brighter.  One can hope.  And one can pray.

ad majorem Dei gloriam!