An accessible pope

The flashy red shoes aren’t his to fill – he goes for no-frills black. He prefers a minivan to a limo, and before that, mass transport in Buenos Aires. He flies coach and carries his own luggage. And instead of standing behind bulletproof glass panels on a custom-made “popemobile” to wave to the faithful, he wades into a crowd, shakes hands and kisses babies.

So far, so good… the pontiff who took the name of St. Francis of Assisi, renowned for his vow of poverty, is living up to the image of simplicity and humility.

Pope Francis’ accessibility to the masses is a refreshing change. While the bulletproof glass-enclosed box on the papamobile was installed following the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in May 1981 in St. Peter’s Square, it also reinforced the image of a remote pontiff – and a Church that was losing touch with its flock.

It’s significant that the new pope chose Francis of Assisi as his role model. The founder of the Franciscan Order represents all the good and inspiring imagery that I associate with the Roman Catholic faith: the lifestyle that eschews material wealth, the love of animals and nature, the crèche with the son of God born in a humble manger surrounded by animals.

Many moons ago when my Catholic school required students to watch Franco Zeffirelli’s movie “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” about the life of Francis of Assisi, I was entranced by the story. It was magical, beautiful – and it was based on a true story, on someone’s exemplary life. I still remember the movie’s theme song by Donovan – sweet, gentle, like a lullabye. It captured the saint’s life after he renounced his inheritance and other worldly possessions, and began walking around barefoot and ministering to the poorest of the poor.

I don’t think Pope Francis is going to walk around barefoot or denounce the opulence of the Vatican, as St. Francis did when he first set foot on the throne of St. Peter and met Pope Innocent III.

Pope Francis is even more unlikely to walk away from anywhere naked in public, as St. Francis did in the movie.

But you can see Pope Francis is testing the limits of his exalted position, and providing a much-needed example to the princes of the Church.

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People are probably reading too much into the choice of the new pontiff’s name. But it’s significant that Francis of Assisi is also the patron saint of the environment, as declared by Pope John Paul II in 1979. So it’s likely that climate change and other environmental concerns will be high on the agenda of the new pontiff.

Another thing St. Francis is remembered for is his attempt to convert the sultan of Egypt. Sultan al-Kamil, nephew of Saladin, was being besieged by Crusaders. The sultan reportedly gave St. Francis a friendly reception but the conversion failed. Some accounts claim that the sultan accepted baptism in his deathbed and converted in secret.

This aspect of St. Francis’ life is fueling speculation that Pope Francis will also actively pursue closer ties with the Islamic world. Thanks to the saint’s efforts, the Franciscan Order has maintained a presence in the Holy Land since 1217. 

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The Catholic Church is most effective when it is seen to be working for the poor or the oppressed. Consider the impact of Mother Teresa on the image of the Church, or of Pope John Paul II when he embraced resistance to Soviet communist rule particularly in his native Poland.

Consider the fortunes of the Church in our country as it veered away from endorsement of martial law to “critical collaboration” with the Marcos dictatorship and then to open opposition and people power.

The Church loses its way when it is seen to be indulging in the all-too-human pursuit of worldly wealth and power, when its princes have a propensity for SUVs and royal treatment. The abuses of the Spanish friars were famously illustrated by national hero Jose Rizal in his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The heroes of our revolution were Freemasons.

Pope Francis is inheriting a Church mired in the worldly problems: sex and corruption scandals.

In his native Argentina, Pope Francis is also hounded by speculation about his complicity with the military dictatorship when he was the Jesuits’ provincial superior in the 1970s.

Defenders of the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio attribute the unconfirmed stories to those who don’t like him for his refusal to embrace Marxism or endorse liberation theology, and for his criticism of politicians.

By most accounts, however, Pope Francis is wildly popular in Argentina. The country’s ambassador to Manila, Joaquin Otero, emailed me, “We are very proud and happy.” The ambassador should be doubly proud because he studied in a Jesuit school in Brazil’s Porto Alegre when his father was assigned there as a consul.

Much of the popularity is attributed to Francis’ common touch. We are taught that the pope is more than human, God’s chosen representative on Earth. People kneel before him and kiss his ring. Popes are venerated like living saints.

 Now here comes Francis, shaking hands with the faithful and riding the bus. If he plays football and munches on pizza in St. Peter’s Square we wouldn’t be surprised. He’s more human than saint.

In stepping down from his pedestal, Pope Francis brings God to Earth, and closer to the faithful.