A Pope Like No Other?

Friends, I'm sorry you've been hungering for my blogs for such a long time.  Jackhammer has been very busy, but will attempt to post as much as possible before the summer classes begin in three weeks.  Word. 

 

Many of you have emailed to inquire about my opinion of the new Pope, and even more of you aggressively campaigned for me to be named the new head of the Catholic Church.  I hate to break it to you guys... yes, I was born Catholic, but have never been active in the organization.  The Pope is chosen from the College of Cardinals, of which I am not a member.  I doubt the Vatican leadership even read your well-intentioned letters...

 

Nevertheless, I refrained from commentary thus far because it has taken me some time to sort out my feelings on this issue.  I was not prepared for Pope Benedict XVI to resign, confessing that he was no longer up to the task.  Plus, I was absolutely nauseated by the liberal media, who was giddy with excitement at the thought of a white Pope being replaced by any ethnic group that can claim a history of abuse and oppression.  In modern times, the highest level leadership vacancies are always filled with a minority candidate.  The liberal press went wild trumpeting their expectations for an African or Hispanic Pope; all Cardinals of white European decent were mentioned only in passing by the press - and then quickly dismissed as a longshot. 

 

Jackhammer was not surprised when Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina was named the next Pope because our society no longer worships God; it worships political correctness.  Selecting a white European male for any high-level leadership position in 2013 would be an unforgivable faux pas, right?  However, Jackhammer has evolved on this issue.  It did not take long for Jorge Mario Bergoglio to win my heart.

 

Friends, this is a Pope like no other.  He will be called Pope Francis I.  Think about that for a moment.  Saint Francis was well-known for his extraordinary dedication to helping the poor... and he was also a powerful player in the Catholic church when it was fighting for its very survival.  Pope Francis certainly has his work cut out for him, and no other name could proffer a stronger declaration of his values.  Declining church membership, a global crisis of faith, the sex abuse scandals and ongoing lawsuits, public adoration for gay marriage, the sexist push to ordain women, the grassroots movement to end the celibacy requirement for priests... and, although little details are available to the public, there have also been widespread, reputable reports of rampant financial corruption reaching to the highest levels of the Vatican.  Who can blame Pope Benedict for throwing in the towel?  Who can pull the church back from the brink of destruction?  Is Pope Francis the answer?

 

The thing is, Pope Francis is proving himself to be a Pope like no other.  Francis has always lived in a modest apartment... he rides the bus to work... he attends soccer games.  Now that he has been named Pope, little has changed.  On the day he became Pope, Francis rode the bus back to his humble apartment.  He insisted on paying his own hotel bill... he even carries his own luggage.  When questioned about his shockingly modest lifestyle, Francis explained that he is setting an example for the priests... he is modeling the behavior he expects henceforth.  It didn't take me long to figure out that things are going to be different under his leadership.

 

 

Francis has already expressed disdain for the Pope Mobile... he doesn't think walls of bulletproof plexiglass should come between the Pope and the faithful masses.  Francis discouraged Catholics from traveling to Rome to witness his ordination, instead encouraging them to donate the money they would have spent for their travel expenses to the poor.  Where did this man come from?  Is it possible that we have finally found a Man of God who actually walks the walk?  A true disciple of Christ?

Jackhammer hereby endorses Pope Francis I with great enthusiasm, and he prays that, with the help of God, Pope Francis will emerge victorious after battling the myriad challenges facing the present-day Catholic church.  We are living in times like no other, and facing challenges like no other.  To ensure the survival of the Catholic church, of the Bride of Christ, we must have a Pope like no other.  Godspeed, Francis.  Godspeed.