Category: Vatican Files

March 12th 2013, Cardinal Bergoglio was elected to the chair of Peter becoming Pope Francis, the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. This count takes for granted that Peter was the first Pope and that an unbroken chain of successors followed up to now. This theological account of Church history is, of course, disputable but that is not the point here. The point is to take advantage of this symbolic event to begin to see what is emerging as far as Francis’ interpretation of the Papacy is concerned.

On-Going Exposure

Francis speaks every day in public. He celebrates Mass every morning at 7:00 AM and a summary of his daily homily quickly becomes available for the media. The gist of it is twittered. His speeches are much simpler and shorter than Benedict XVI’s, the language is plain, and the structure often highlights single important words which form the bulk of his reflection. There is always a personal application and the recipient of it is “us” rather than “you” or “them”. He uses many fewer quotations from Church tradition (the Church Fathers were always present in Ratzinger’s talks) and more references to daily episodes of life and Bible quotations. Francis likes to be surrounded by people. He chose not to live segregated in the papal apartments but to stay in the guest house in the Vatican, sharing the dining room and other common spaces with others. His Wednesday’s public audiences in St. Peter’s square are less concentrated on words and more devoted to personal interactions. He normally goes around the square, stopping his papamobile here and there to touch people, kiss babies, and play with children exchanging hats and receiving gifts. The emotional aspect prevails over the cognitive one. Francis is less of a hieratic, unreachable Pope and more of an “older brother” or fatherly type of Pope who is showing all his charming personality.

From the End of the World to the Edges of the World

As soon as he was elected, Francis told that he was coming from “the end of the world”. Ratzinger had come from the “heart” of Europe, he comes from the ends of the globe from a Euro-centric or Western perspective. He is conscious of his origins in the Global South and his background also determines his goal. He often says that the mission of the Church is to go to the peripheries of the world and to be attracted by those who are outside of the various centers of power and influence. Where he comes from is where he wants to go. Now that he leads the “center” of a global institution, it will be interesting to see what going to the peripheries will mean for a centralized and self-referential organization like the Vatican. Francis seems to be willing to shift the attention to the ends of the world, geographically and socially.

Infiltration Rather Than Confrontation

His style of argumentation is also coming through. Whereas Ratzinger used to be seen as confrontational in his approach to Western culture (often banging on the head of “nihilism”, the “dictatorship of relativism”, etc.), Bergoglio is perceived as a mild person who stirs attention rather than hitting his hearers. On life issues he is traditional but not in an irritating way for secular people. On marriage he is conservative but capable of maintaining an open dialogue with the gay lobby. His strategy seems to be that of infiltration rather than confrontation. On the inter-faith dialogue he always stresses the brotherhood of all religious people, leaving aside the controversial issues. Mercy has the final word. He has an embracing attitude rather than a tug-of-war approach.

Spiritual Ecumenism

This fraternal mood is also true as far as ecumenism is concerned. Francis talks a lot about Christian unity and emphasizes the importance of common prayer and brotherly relationships. Technically, this is what “spiritual ecumenism” is all about, i.e. unity that is expressed in joint prayer, although he has not been using this language so far. All non-Catholic counterparts, from Liberal Protestants to many Evangelicals, seem to like this and have the impression that he is rather easy-going as far as unity is concerned. He recently told the audience in St. Peter’s square that he had spent half an hour in prayer with an Italian Evangelical pastor (June 19th). Less people paid attention to what he had just said before, i.e. that unity means being in fellowship with the Pope and the bishops. Beyond the seemingly Pauline language, he endorsed the Roman Catholic view that unity means to be cum Petro (with Peter) and sub Petro (under Peter). The relationship with the Pope defines Christian unity. Meanwhile, he has been outspokenly Marian in his devotions and very Eucharistic-centered in his teaching.

Poverty, Poverty …

Poverty is a catchword of Bergoglio’s pontificate. The choice of the name Francis was indicative of an entire program. He has certainly given a more sober bent to what it means “to live like a Pope”. He wears an iron cross, instead of a golden one. He uses less luxurious vestments. He calls for a simple lifestyle. In commenting on the recent financial scandals, he humorously said that Peter did not have a bank! The problem is that the Pope has a bank! Will Francis have the courage to close it? The reference to Francis of Assisi marks his grandeur but perhaps his limits as well. Francis spoke of poverty and lived in poverty in the XIII century, but the Church he submitted to remained opulent and went on pursuing its mundane affairs. Will Pope Francis be able or willing to implement Church practices that are marked by simplicity and frugality? Perhaps we should wait another 100 days to answer.

Leonardo De Chirico

Rome, 22nd June 2013

June 1st, 2013

Today “the arts” is a term that captures the imagination of many Evangelical circles. Nowadays if you want to be hip and relevant as you envision your ministry you must talk about the arts. The problem, however, with all this talk about the arts is that it’s difficult to contribute intelligently if there’s no thorough understanding and expertise of the subject. It is not so much a matter of personal acquaintance or preparation, but is rather a matter of cultural insensitivity that at times verges towards naiveté. Broadly speaking, the Evangelical culture has been largely shaped by a suspicious attitude towards the arts, investing more on efficacy than aesthetics, trying to reach results rather than beauty, and aiming at the mind rather than inspiring the imagination. Our senses are poorly acclimated to the artistic life, and therefore cannot be nurtured by its signs and symbols. The outcome is that what we produce in terms of art work is often embarrassing, and what we say about the arts is superficial. But this is only part of the story.

Re-Opening the Dialogue Between the Church and the Arts

The Roman Catholic tradition, however, has followed another direction, going perhaps to the opposite extreme. There we find a saturation with the arts to the point in which there is a risk of idolizing it. Having said that, all Christian traditions have a problem with the arts. Since the end of the XIX century, contemporary arts has largely abandoned its general Christian inspiration. The Church has ceased to be considered the home of the arts and artists have in general felt alienated by Christianity and the church. As a result we have witnessed a significant breach between the two. Contemporary art continues to be deeply religious but seems to be hardly challenged and provoked by the Christian story. How is the Vatican dealing with the issue? The Vatican thinks and acts institutionally thorough its Pontifical Council for Culture. Its president, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, has repeatedly said that the Church needs to reopen a channel of dialogue with artists. In 2009, during Benedict XVI’s pontificate, he arranged a meeting between hundreds of international artists with the Pope in the Sistine Chapel. There, in the “temple” that celebrated the marriage between the Church and the arts (think of Michelangelo painting there for various Popes), the Pope reasserted the fact that the Church used to be and still is the “home” and the “mother” of the arts. He added that there is no reason the two should divorce, but all the reason to reaffirm their mutual friendship.

A Vatican Exhibition in Venice

After a lot of talk and discussion, the Vatican will soon participate in a world-famous art exhibition. The Venice Biennale has for over a century been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Ever since its foundation in 1895, it has been in the avant-garde, promoting new artistic trends and organizing international events in the contemporary arts: the International Film Festival, the International Art Exhibition and the International Architecture Exhibition, as well as the Festival of Contemporary Music, the Theatre Festival, now accompanied by accompanied by the Festival of Contemporary Dance. The 55th International Art Exhibition will be open to the public from June 1 to November 24, 2013 at the Giardini, the Arsenale, and in various venues around the city of Venice. The Vatican exhibition is entitled “In Principio” (In the Beginning) and contains the works of artists such as Studio Azzurro, Josef Koudelka, and Lawrence Carroll. Here is how the Pontifical Council describes it: “For this first participation of the Holy See with its own Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, we have chosen a theme that is fundamental for culture and Church tradition and a source of inspiration for many artists: the stories told in the Book of Genesis. Specifically the focus is on the first eleven chapters, as they are dedicated to the mystery of man’s origins, the introduction of evil into history, and our hope and future projects after the devastation that is symbolically represented by the Flood. Wide-ranging discussions on the multiplicity of the themes offered led to three thematic areas being chosen with which the artists have engaged: Creazione (Creation), De-Creazione (Uncreation), and the New Man or Ri-Creazione (Recreation)”. Fascinating.

Two Approaches

Will this exhibition reopen the dialogue? It is difficult to say. What is perhaps worth noticing, however, is the difference between Evangelical and Roman Catholic approaches to the issue. While Evangelicals tend to work bottom-up from a grassroots level, the Catholic Church chooses to work top-down, i.e. from the already accredited art exhibitions down to the worlds of media, scholarship, and the public opinion. While Evangelicals work at random and unconnected, the Catholic Church seems to have a long-term strategy that seeks to gradually implement. While Evangelicals naively think that if they talk about the arts they are “impacting” them and “making a difference”, the Catholic Church is more aware of the need to work in the institutions of the arts in order to hope for a significant result. The road may be longer, but the effects will perhaps be less ephemeral.

Leonardo De Chirico

May 10th, 2013 

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That Pope Francis has a strong Marian devotion became immediately clear after his election. In his first speech as Pope he committed himself and the world to Mary. The following day his first visit outside of the Vatican walls was to the basilica of St Mary Major where he prayed to Mary. In his homilies he has at times disseminated his Marian piety. Now that the liturgical Marian month (May) has begun, the Pope has further expressed his devotion. On May 3^rd he lead the rosary in the same Marian basilica he visited after being elected and gave a public speech to the people that had gathered there.  

Mary, Salus Populi Romani

This particular basilica is known for hosting and displaying the icon of Mary who is called Salus Populi Romani (i.e. salvation of the Roman people). This is a Marian title that underlines her being the protector of the Roman people. In front of the icon, Pope Francis commented: “We are all here in front of Mary; we prayed for her motherly guidance; we took her our joys and sorrows, our hopes and difficulties; we invoked her with the title Salus Populi Romani to ask for ourselves, for Rome and for the world the gift of health. Yes, she gives health, she is our health”. In expounding his teaching, Francis went on to talk about three ways in which Mary is our health: She helps us grow as men and women, just as a mother cares for her children; She helps us face our difficulties, just as a mother walks with her children; Lastly she helps us make right decisions in life, just as a mother wants her children to live responsibly. Outside of Roman Catholic piety, it is difficult to understand such a profound “motherly” language of devotion to Mary and to square it with a Christ-centered and a Bible-based faith which unequivocally points to Jesus Christ as the only Mediator between God and man. Biblically, these roles relate to the Christological offices of Jesus as Priest and King. Yet Roman Catholicism attributes them to Mary as an extension of Christ’s role as mediator. Out of its synergism the Roman Catholic faith allows, indeed demands, such a veneration of Mary which has theological, spiritual, and emotional dimensions. Mary is seen as the protector of life.

Papal Marianisms

In closing his speech, Pope Francis addressed the crowd by saying: “Thank you for your presence here in the house of the mother of Rome, our Mother. Hurrah to the Salus Populi Romani. Hurrah to Madonna. She is our Mother. Let us entrust ourselves to her because she cares for us like a good mother”. This time the devotional language matched that of sports enthusiasts: Hurrah, hurrah! The magnitude of Mary’s motherly role stirred the heart and soul of many people gathered there. Pope Francis has stressed the fact that he wants to emphasize his role as bishop of Rome and has begun to give this emphasis a distinct Marian flavor. We can now begin to see the trajectory of this present pontificate as far as his Marianism is concerned. The last pope to share such a high view of Mary was John Paul II. His motto was “totus tuus” (i.e. totally yours), and his veneration of Marian icons and his practice of Marian devotions were very evident. Benedict XVI has been portrayed as a less Marian Pope, although he has always prayed to Mary on a daily basis and has included many Marian elements in all his work. After a short recess, Mary is once again a prominent figure with Pope Francis. His pontificate seems to be significantly shaped by Marian theology and veneration.

Leonardo De Chirico