Humble

I tried to read everything coming out in the international media about Archbishop Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio since he ascended the Papacy. I wanted clues about how his mind works and what policy reforms he might personify.

The Papacy, after all, is such a powerful force on the global stage. When a Polish cardinal became Pope John Paul II, he is conceded to be one of the major factors influencing the swift and almost bloodless collapse of communism, the end of the Cold War and, subsequently, the reshaping of global politics where non-state actors such as international terrorist networks gained in prominence.

There is a quote, attributed to the tyrannical Josef Stalin, former leader of the now defunct Soviet Union, that sounded pretty dismissive of the powers of the Papacy. Stalin asked: “How many divisions (of infantry) does the Pope have?” Too bad Stalin did not live long enough to see how the persisting Russian empire, disguised as the Soviet Union, could crumble like a deck of cards.

To answer Stalin’s question: The Pope does not have a single division. All he has is a gaily costumed bunch of mercenaries called the Swiss guards, inherited from the medieval powerbroker Cesare Borgia who used the capacity for intimidation of these mercenaries to install his own father Pope Alexander VI, best remembered for orgies at the papal suites. The bright costumes were designed by Michelangelo no less — the most brilliant gay person there ever was. He is the same artist commissioned to paint the interiors of the Sistine Chapel, the ultimate imaginable venue for a costume party.

However, the Pope has the pulpit at the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome where he could speak ex cathedra. His every word is doctrine for the estimated 1.2 billion Catholic faithful. That is a more powerful asset than all the divisions Stalin could ever amass.

Bergoglio, to be sure, is a remarkable man to have suitably impressed the College of Cardinals. The first non-European in many centuries to rise to the top of the hierarchy, the new Pope Francis is also the first Jesuit to occupy the Papacy. The archbishop of Buenos Aires is Argentinian by nationality, Italian by ethnicity. Many have concluded the choice of Bergoglio represents an unhappy compromise between the Italian prelates who control the powerful Roman Curia and the reformists (mainly non-Europeans) who imagine a Church more responsive to the realities of modernity.

The new Pope may be from the southern hemisphere where Catholicism is a growing force, but he could as well be called a European in the manner he reflects the intellectual disposition of the old boys’ network at the Vatican. He is described as a doctrinal conservative, having figured in a long and bitter confrontation with the Argentinian government on matters of abortion and contraceptives.

Because the new Pope is 76, he is seen as yet another transitional leader for a church reluctant to embrace change. John Paul I, who died after a brief tenure, and Pope Benedict who resigned due to physical incapacity are both also seen as transitional popes. There was some expectation this time around for the election of a much younger, more vigorous cardinal who might muster the energy and will have the tenure required to introduce sweeping changes in an aging institution.

As a young cleric, he is remembered for having stood against the theology of liberation that captured the imagination of many South American priests, leading some of them to join the armed leftist revolutionary movements. He is faulted for having stood by when the military junta that once brutally ruled Argentina arrested several young priests from his jurisdiction.

The almost exclusive focus on the new Pope’s humility, his simplicity and his emphasis on pastoral work (underscored by his admiration for St. Francis of Assisi) in a way amplifies the silence on whatever policy innovation the new religious leader personifies. This indicates the new pontiff represents doctrinal continuity instead of change, a rather serious concern considering the profound doctrinal issues facing the Roman church.

At any rate, the new Pope Francis will resonate well with the Filipino bishops whose episcopate is considered among the most doctrinally conservative in the world. As Bergoglio did when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Filipino bishops have tangled with the state on issues relating to reproductive health and family life. Like the new Pope, our bishops hold to their opposition to state policy on grounds of inviolable doctrine.

Professional

I must add my own words of praise for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the professionalism demonstrated the past few days.

The NBI recalled all the subpoenas it issued in relation to that laughable conspiracy theory being peddled by Palace propagandists. In explaining the recall, the NBI said there was simply no credible evidence to sustain that conspiracy theory.

Earlier in the week, the NBI summoned several personalities for questioning. Waldy Carbonell materialized at the appointed time and found no agent available to question him. The others were asked generally pointless questions and allowed to leave. The inquiry was simply wasting everybody’s time.

Subpoenas were likewise issued to the Kiram family, who chose to defy the summons. That put the NBI in a predicament: they may choose to arrest the Kirams on the flimsiest pretext and risk being rebuked by the courts or simply drop the matter altogether.

By opting to recall the subpoenas, the NBI spares the agency the sort of ridicule now heaped on the amateur propagandists weaving a conspiracy theory out of absolutely nothing.