In my life so far, I’ve seen the Pope four times. In 1984, he visited my hometown of St John’s, Newfoundland, and my mom sang in the choir. Not only that, I was mere inches away from the Popemobile as it drove by. Then I got side-armed by an 80-year-old, daily communicant with a rosary in one hand and a Bible in the other. She should have been playing rugby for the local “Vandals” team. I digress.
In 1999, when the Pope visited St Louis, I was backing up a good friend, Tom Booth (who had written the theme song for the Archdiocesan Youth Day) in the Kiel Center. There were 22,000 people in there. When the Holy Father appeared, it was so loud from people (mostly teenagers) screaming that the noise canceled itself out. It turned into white noise.
In 2000, I was in Rome for World Youth Day with my church youth group. It was a week-and-a-half long pilgrimage full of amazing memories and two million people. In 2002, I was in Toronto for World Youth Day. I actually had the opportunity of singing a setting I had written of a Litany of the Saints for the Saturday evening prayer vigil with several hundred thousand people in Lansdowne Park. It was an amazing moment. At one point, when the Pope came up on the stage, the 200 people that were flanking either side in the guest section, rushed over to meet him. I stood about two feet from him as he drove by on a moving “stand” of sorts. I can’t explain what I saw when I looked into his eyes; what I can tell you is that I saw a love that has endured many things. I saw the love of God.
Now, six years later, we have another Pope - another successor in the chair of Peter, making a visit to this country. Many things have changed since the death of John Paul II - especially in American society. Our country is in a state of recession; we have endured a war against a faceless enemy of fundamentalist extremism, and we are grasping for a common sense of purpose and mission for our country. So why (in my humble opinion) is a Papal visit be important for America?
The Chair Of Peter - Bringing the Authority of Christ.
Pope Benedict is not an imposing looking man. He’s 81 years old. Yet, when he arrived, every major news media began to record his every public word; millions of Americans listened to him speak, even the President who gave him a red-carpet welcome to the White House; no doubt someone spent copious amounts of money on ebay trying to buy tickets to the Mass at the Nationals Stadium or Yankee Stadium. The next time Prince Charles or one of his sons visit this country, I can’t see this happening. The question remains why?
I think because of what he represents. The Pope is the Vicar of Christ. He stands for Jesus Christ. In his frailty of appearance, the humility of the incarnation shines through - of the word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. For all Christians, it is a reminder that their faith is something that has more history than this country. It’s a faith that has 2000 years worth of stories of fellow men and women who not only died standing for their beliefs; they lived beautifully because of them. I think that’s what people see; they see the hope that only the love of God can bring. This is not about a man having all the power; this is not about how big or strong an institution can be; this is about a man who is a servant to the servants of God. A man who calls the rich to care for the poor, and stand in solidarity with them; a man who holds up the dignity of every human person - from the unborn to the dying, the prisoner to the free, the unbelieving to the newly canonized. That’s what I see when I see the Papacy.
Faith Vs. Reason –
In 2006, Pope Benedict was criticized by the Muslim community for quoting a document written in 1391. In “Dialogue Held With A Certain Persian, the Worthy Mouterizes, in Anakara of Galatia”, the Byzantine Emperor at the time, Manuel II Paleologus, said some rather harsh things about Islam. 1700 or so years later, the current Pope is being accused of religious bigotry because he used this in a speech about faith and reason needing to coexist especially when it comes to religious belief. It is reason that God gives us as our “baseline” when our emotions sometimes cloud or influence our hearts and minds as we strive to hear the voice of love; otherwise, we would become slaves to our own will. I believe this is one of the only ways the civilized world can come to peaceful resolution with strong religious systems. Put simply, God’s word has been spoken. When you justify breaking commands from God in His name, for the purpose of bringing more people to that faith, you have compromised its worth in your own heart. Pope Benedict continues to be a champion for this, and it’s one of the very issues America needs to talk about.
American society is at a turning point when it comes to religious freedom. We have become more tolerant than ever of different religious expressions. However, when reason does not allow faith to have a relevancy to innovation, science, technology, and the way our global family grows together, what does that say? Have we begun to show disrespect and intolerance to organized religion? When you tolerate anything but belief in something, isn’t that the beginnings of a new type of “relativistic fundamentalism”?
On the other end of the spectrum, some churches look at the “recruitment tactics” of extremist groups and say things like, “you’ve gotta fight fire with fire”...which is an example of when faith does not allow reason to speak. Certain groups would say that man cannot bring reason to the will of God. But God does not contradict Himself. He is infinite love. Let us pray that we follow the example of our maker. As we welcome the Pope, we welcome Jesus Christ, for that is who the Pope would want all attention and praise to go to anyways.
Matt Maher is a recording artist for Essential Records. His new album, Empty & Beautiful, was released April 8.
