I'm finding the reporting of the Pope's visit to the United States to be very interesting, and a bit puzzling. Today's Portland Press Herald features a front-page story about the Pope praying at Ground Zero and leading mass at Yankee Stadium. On one hand, I think it's really good to see this level of enthusiasm for something of a spiritual nature. I mean, how often does a religious leader, other than the likes of Billy Graham, draw crowds enough to pack Yankee Stadium? (Well, I suppose Joel Osteen does it every week, but I'll save that for another post...) On the other hand, though, it seems to me there's something just a little off when it's a human being that draws all the attention, rather than the One whom we worship.A quote from today's article:
John Urban, 71, of Scranton, PA, left his home at 3:30 am and drove two and a half hours to arrive by 6 am.
He could only see the top of the pope mobile.
"It was enough," Urban said. "He's the head of our church. It's probably as close as I'm going to get to him, but that's fine."
Does this strike anyone else as a bit odd? Isn't Jesus Christ the head of the church?
I really don't mean offense to my Roman Catholic sisters and brothers. I have incredible respect for the rich tradition of the Catholic Church, and I think there are many, many things to celebrate about Roman Catholicism (as well as a few things to critique, such as their refusal to ordain women, which is also a topic for another post...). However, the whole mystique about the person of the Pope is one part I just don't get.
1 comment:
This one has been fermenting for a while, Allen, and I'm still not sure what I think about it. One the one hand, it's great that so many came out to recognize the leader who represents such a large portion of the Christian church. And I think, which is worse, that so many came or if hardly anybody came? Is it a sign that people really are looking for hope and realize that it won't be found in nations, or it is a matter of 'celebrity', something so prevalent in our culture?
I'm not sure. Great post - got me thinking. And the other thing - yes, Jesus is the Head of the church, and for a time drew large crowds. That is, until folks started to really understand the sacrificial nature of his message. Does the Pope, or for that matter, the Church, embody this aspect of following?
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