With the sometimes rabid exception of people at the ultra-traditionalist fringe of Catholicism, Catholics were very pleased with Pope Francis.
The comparatively quiet satisfaction with Francis was easy to understand.
To put it simply, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a.k.a. Pope Francis, was a normal Catholic.
More notable, though, was the wild adulation he drew from those outside the Church, even more adulation, it appeared, than he received from Catholics.
It was his normalcy that surprised and attracted people.
Starving world
But what are we to make of the wild enthusiasm that Pope Francis aroused in the media and among those outside the Church?
Clearly, the world is starved for normalcy and simple decency in our public figures, whether they be politicians, financial leaders, entertainers, sports stars or even religious leaders.
We have come to expect scandal, corruption, egoism, selfishness, abuse of power, betrayal, manipulation, self-righteous hypocrisy, greed, pettiness, violence and a host of other less-than-inspiring characteristics.
Incarnating the Incarnation and living
William Grimm
as a disciple of Christ
are the most normal things
a human being can do.
For someone baptized
into union with Christ,
living otherwise
presumably takes extra effort.
That Francis, a man in a position of world leadership, like Pope Leo, could attract so much attention and affection by simply being a decent human being is a sad commentary on our world.
And yet, the responses of people to Pope Francis, and now to Pope Leo, are hopeful signs.
We are fed up with the sort of men and women who usually make the headlines and appear on magazine covers.
Yet people have not given up hope that there might be men and women around who can take a stand against so much that the world considers “normal,” not through confrontation, but by simply being sincerely interested in people and their good.
The world still looks for goodness, kindness, and common sense.
In other words, the world wants normalcy.
The challenge
That presents a challenge and an opportunity for Christians.
Incarnating the Incarnation and living as a disciple of Christ are the most normal things a human being can do; Jesus is the norm for humanity.
For someone baptized into union with Christ, living otherwise presumably takes extra effort.
Pope Francis led the way in how enthusiastically the world responded to a loving, caring, forgiving, friendly and good-natured believer.
One out of every three people in the world is a Christian, and half of those are Catholic.
How might the world respond, how different would the news of the world be, if all of us simply acted normal?
The world is waiting, ready and even looking forward to finding out.
- William Grimm, a native of New York City, is a missioner and presbyter who since 1973 has served in Japan, Hong Kong and Cambodia. A graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York, he is the publisher of UCA News.
- Based on a piece published in UCANews.com. Used with permission.