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In sum, Delia informed us, this is a Pope who “confounds our expectations,” by modeling Jesus, who was also a confounder of expectations. Francis chooses to respond, not on the basis of rules and regulations, but “from the heart.” And, that is where he “is ultimately hoping to bring all of us.”
is expected in the mentality of Americans and other English speakers. Rather, as explained by one of the Pope’s Jesuit students, when relating to reality Francis “appreciates other experiences of truth, like popular wisdom, traditional nar- ratives, informal acquaintance and knowledge.” In other words, that which we might expect to elicit a simple answer actually causes the Pope to bring many factors to bear, making the response less simple and more convoluted.
Delia pointed to two of Francis’ favorite say- ings as indicative of his complicated route to answering questions.
“Time is greater than space,” means, she ex- plained, that it is more important to start processes and to be part of processes than to demand immediate results that resolve all tensions and clarify all circumstances. Instead, “we must go along with the action of the spir- it of the Lord.” This manifests itself in such ways as the Pope fully supporting Ukraine while leaving the door open for President Pu- tin to join in a dialogue.
“Reality is greater than ideas” means that concrete reality is more import- ant than an abstract idea. An example includes leaving in place the gen- eral rule against permitting Catholics who divorce and remarry to receive communion, while stating that, “in some cases, in conjunction with . . . your pastor, you [as an] individual person, can decide with your con- science, if you are fit to present yourself for communion and that’s fine with me.” Another example involves the Pope’s decision not to impose his view on conservative Catholic bishops that communion should not be used as a weapon against pro-choice politicians, but instead to meet with President Biden and, in the President’s words, to say that “he was happy I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving communion.”
As Delia noted, the Pope was modeling certain behavior for his bishops. “He didn’t even have to say anything and he didn’t; they got the message.”
Joan Lukey Boston, MA
WINTER 2023
JOURNAL 30