Lead on, Leo!
Like millions of others, I watched the white smoke curl out of the chimney over the Sistine Chapel, then waited for an hour for the new bishop of Rome to present himself.
Like others, I was surprised to see the name and face of an American wearing the regalia of the Pope of Rome.
Like the global television audience, I listened with increasing delight at his first speech, his focus on Jesus the Risen Lord, on the love of God for all people, and on our need for peace and justice for everyone.
It was impressive: less Catholic than Christian, less clerical than humane, thoroughly humble without a trace of haughtiness. Just want the world needs and wants. It made me feel good and give thanks to God.
The first call came from California: “Are we all Catholics now?” he asked.
The first face to face conversation started with this firm resolve: “I am ready to join the Catholic Church.”
The first emotions that swelled up in my soul were delight and gratitude. Mostly, this convergence of anticipation, enthusiasm, and surprise in the election of Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago as the leader of the world’s largest Christian community offered a respite from the distortion of Christian faith and practice that has dominated headlines in the United States for months.
In our dear country, MAGA religion was swept into political power when their leader, Donald J. Trump, was elected President of the United States. Together they are implementing a government that helps the rich and hurts the poor, welcomes the white and deports the brown, blesses the strong and ignores the weak, and believes the lies but suppresses the truth.
Specifically, this leader and his MAGA gang have rejected due process in legal proceedings, installed tariffs on things we buy and sell, terminated American aid to the poor of the world, turned federal agents into an American Gestapo, shut down research on a long list of diseases, retreated from environmental protections, alienated our closest allies around the world, and cancelled Head Start, AmeriCorps, and Mr. Rogers! Who knows what they are planning to do with Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Or the National Parks.
They have done all this in a spirit of revenge and with the sound of giggles. Which means millions of American Christians are embarrassed and angry. I am one of them.
It is a nervy gamble by this political and/or religious cohort of citizens. They have hitched their moral vision to the most immoral leader in American history. They will either win big, and push other Christian visions to the periphery, or they will lose big and find themselves dumped into the ditch that routinely catches the mean, the selfish, and the violent as they fall into disgrace.
Into this maelstrom of American anger and global uncertainty, a Christian leader was presented to the world from a balcony in Rome. He comes in the name of the Lord, bringing faith, hope, and love to those on the margins of society. He reminds us that who we choose as leaders makes all the difference.
First Canada, then Australia, responded to Trump and his MAGA warriors by electing sane and disciplined people. Now Roman Catholics have done the same, demonstrating that there are indeed quality people in these United States fit to lead any population into a just and prosperous future. Many non-MAGA Protestants are celebrating this elevation of the man from Chicago. Lead on, Leo!
We Americans have 44 more months of Trump and his MAGA believers. We pray that we might survive, even thrive in this time of distortion and distraction. Please, Lord, make us strong, and courageous, and ever hopeful.
By the grace of God, we have this other leader, the one who spoke so eloquently of friendship, who spoke with such generosity of spirit, and who spoke words of hope for the whole human race.
He is only 69 years old. He could serve for 20 years! Lead on, Leo!
Lead on, Leo!
Like millions of others, I watched the white smoke curl out of the chimney over the Sistine Chapel, then waited for an hour for the new bishop of Rome to present himself.
Like others, I was surprised to see the name and face of an American wearing the regalia of the Pope of Rome.
Like the global television audience, I listened with increasing delight at his first speech, his focus on Jesus the Risen Lord, on the love of God for all people, and on our need for peace and justice for everyone.
It was impressive: less Catholic than Christian, less clerical than humane, thoroughly humble without a trace of haughtiness. Just want the world needs and wants. It made me feel good and give thanks to God.
The first call came from California: “Are we all Catholics now?” he asked.
The first face to face conversation started with this firm resolve: “I am ready to join the Catholic Church.”
The first emotions that swelled up in my soul were delight and gratitude. Mostly, this convergence of anticipation, enthusiasm, and surprise in the election of Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago as the leader of the world’s largest Christian community offered a respite from the distortion of Christian faith and practice that has dominated headlines in the United States for months.
In our dear country, MAGA religion was swept into political power when their leader, Donald J. Trump, was elected President of the United States. Together they are implementing a government that helps the rich and hurts the poor, welcomes the white and deports the brown, blesses the strong and ignores the weak, and believes the lies but suppresses the truth.
Specifically, this leader and his MAGA gang have rejected due process in legal proceedings, installed tariffs on things we buy and sell, terminated American aid to the poor of the world, turned federal agents into an American Gestapo, shut down research on a long list of diseases, retreated from environmental protections, alienated our closest allies around the world, and cancelled Head Start, AmeriCorps, and Mr. Rogers! Who knows what they are planning to do with Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Or the National Parks.
They have done all this in a spirit of revenge and with the sound of giggles. Which means millions of American Christians are embarrassed and angry. I am one of them.
It is a nervy gamble by this political and/or religious cohort of citizens. They have hitched their moral vision to the most immoral leader in American history. They will either win big, and push other Christian visions to the periphery, or they will lose big and find themselves dumped into the ditch that routinely catches the mean, the selfish, and the violent as they fall into disgrace.
Into this maelstrom of American anger and global uncertainty, a Christian leader was presented to the world from a balcony in Rome. He comes in the name of the Lord, bringing faith, hope, and love to those on the margins of society. He reminds us that who we choose as leaders makes all the difference.
First Canada, then Australia, responded to Trump and his MAGA warriors by electing sane and disciplined people. Now Roman Catholics have done the same, demonstrating that there are indeed quality people in these United States fit to lead any population into a just and prosperous future. Many non-MAGA Protestants are celebrating this elevation of the man from Chicago. Lead on, Leo!
We Americans have 44 more months of Trump and his MAGA believers. We pray that we might survive, even thrive in this time of distortion and distraction. Please, Lord, make us strong, and courageous, and ever hopeful.
By the grace of God, we have this other leader, the one who spoke so eloquently of friendship, who spoke with such generosity of spirit, and who spoke words of hope for the whole human race.
He is only 69 years old. He could serve for 20 years! Lead on, Leo!
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