Twenty-first century presents a world which tends to be very liberal and materialistic. The Catholic Church tried to respond to a modern world but its concept of modern is not the way modernization presents itself. So the Church grown with the times. Popes too seem to imbibe this “aggiornamento” because through the years, they also respond according to the signs of the times.
The present pope, Pope Francis, is one pope who responds to the pressing need of bringing back to God’s fold the many who have gone astray. Since the Church is in the world, the problems that best governments are to a certain extent, the Church’s problems too. One great need is for the Pope to become closer to the people. Pope Francis being the Vicar of Christ, did exactly this – reach out to the people and even ask from the faithful to pray for him. Of the places he has visited, the Philippines was one of them. We could only follow all his travels and activities through the television but there is no doubt he is the People’s Pope. Other popes have their charisms so Pope Francis has his charism to which is endearing since he is smiling, fatherly and pro-people. He reaches out to children, the differently-abled, the sick and to as many “ordinary” people.
While Pope Francis does not need laurels because he does what he does for God but there is nothing wrong if we acknowledge the initiatives that he does and is doing not only for the catholics but to mankind in general too. This he has done when he worked with the United States to open communication with Cuba. The providential action of God’s hand must be that the brother of Fidel Castro, who is Raul Castro, is now the Cuban President. Pope Francis just visited Cuba! The faithful came in full force when the Pope offered mass in the cathedral. Now, the Pope is in the United States to talk about other issues which the world is facing nowadays.
At a time when the world is really facing crises from all sectors, the presence of God becomes blurred because of the events that seem to cloud its eternal presence. Pope Francis is an instrument to gradually bring us back to the strength and hope that come in a renewed faith. Pope Francis, please stay healthy because we need your charisma. You are the people’s pope! You are my pope. We will keep on praying for you, our Emmanuel (God is with us).
