Habemus Papam Americanum
Well (as one meme announced this morning), I guess that’s one way for the Vatican to avoid Trump’s tariffs!
On Thursday the cardinals selected a pope who was “made in the USA.”
All else equal, I wish he weren’t. This is a personal preference, but I’d rather the pope seem more mysterious, ethereal, and distant.
I don’t want him to be my drinking buddy. Thinking of the pope as a Bears fan eating deep-dish at Ditka’s makes him easier to relate to, yet harder to respect.
Many might argue that, like Jesus, the Vicar of Christ should be accessible. I can understand that, and agree intellectually. But I resist viscerally.
I admit this is my problem, not the new pope’s fault. Italians might’ve felt for centuries the way I do today, even if most of them wanted to.
The Pope’s Purpose
But regardless the ancestral origins of any pontiff, patriotism has no place in the universal Church, an institution that should strive to be above this world… not of it.
She should be a heavenly beacon toward which the temporal should aspire. That’s one reason (among many since the Second Vatican Council) the vernacular Mass was such a mistake. But it wasn’t necessarily the biggest.
Except in his ability to clearly convey Catholic doctrine, the Bishop of Rome needn’t be “relatable” to select constituencies. He should be somewhat other-worldly, unconcerned with fickle fashion or passing fads.
I admit to not knowing much about the former Cardinal Robert Prevost. But the initial endorsements are disconcerting. Most unsettling is that they occur at all.
A true successor of St. Peter is chosen under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. That should be sufficient acclamation. Labeling him as “liberal” or “conservative”, “traditional” or “progressive”, is a category mistake… another example of how politics ruins everything.
The pope isn’t a president,
Article from LewRockwell
LewRockwell.com is a libertarian website that publishes articles, essays, and blog posts advocating for minimal government, free markets, and individual liberty. The site was founded by Lew Rockwell, an American libertarian political commentator, activist, and former congressional staffer. The website often features content that is critical of mainstream politics, state intervention, and foreign policy, among other topics. It is a platform frequently used to disseminate Austrian economics, a school of economic thought that is popular among some libertarians.
