Suffering With Joy

The Pope of Hope

June 8, 2010

Many Catholics were happy to see the great attraction so many young people had to Pope John Paul II – an encouraging sign for the future of the Church.  I will never forget the large, grieving crowds spilling out of St. Peter’s Square when he died, and the joy of so many young seminarians and other young people when Cardinal Ratzinger was elected a couple of days later. Now Papa Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI draws larger crowds of young people than Pope John Paul II.  What is it about this Pope that is so attractive to the young?

Perhaps it is his ability to connect with people in simplicity and humility, or it is that he so capably and strongly becomes not only the alter Christus but also the bridge (pontiff) to the Wholly Other our hearts yearn for when he celebrates the sacred liturgy. Then again, it may be that he speaks the hard truths of the Faith with such gentleness, like the loving father he is to all of humanity.

On his recent visit to Malta Pope Benedict addressed a crowd of 10,000 young people at the Port of Valletta speaking of the moral law, not ordinarily a popular subject.  He calls them to conversion, to make the hard choices in this world:

Maybe some of you will say to me, St. Paul is often severe in his writings.  How can I say that he was spreading a message of love?  My answer is this.  God loves every one of us with a depth and intensity that we can hardly begin to imagine. And He knows us intimately, He knows all our strengths and all our faults.  Because He loves us so much, He wants to purify us of our faults and build up our virtues so that we can have life in abundance. When He challenges us because something in our lives is displeasing to Him, He is not rejecting us, but He is asking us to change and become more perfect. That is what He asked of St. Paul on the road to Damascus.  God rejects no one.  Yet in His great love, God challenges all of us to change and to become more perfect…

Here in Malta, you live in a society that is steeped in Christian faith and values.  You should be proud that your country both defends the unborn and promotes stable family life by saying no to abortion and divorce.  I urge you to maintain this courageous witness to the sanctity of life and the centrality of marriage and family life for a healthy society. In Malta and Gozo, families know how to value and care for their elderly and infirm members, and they welcome children as gifts from God.  Other nations can learn from your Christian example.

The country of Malta is now under siege by the European Union which wants this island nation to allow divorce, abortion, and homosexual “marriage”. Thus the Pope’s words to the young are especially important.  Western materialism is slowly chipping away at the Christian foundations of Malta, which can be viewed as one of the few nations left maintaining a viable Catholic culture.

So much of Pope Benedict’s talks address the issues of life vs. death, of living open to God’s will, of accepting the purification God chooses for each of us to build on what He has given us in our talents and personalities.  One cannot hear him without becoming completely conscious of the value of every human being, no matter their circumstances.  He is the Pope of Hope.

Tags: conversion

2 Comments to The Pope of Hope

1. 

   Great insights. I too love our Pope. He speaks so clearly abotu the faith, and so gently. It is irresistable.
Sandy Marshall on June 13th, 2010
2. 

   -=- Then again, it may be that he speaks the hard truths of the Faith with such gentleness, like the loving father he is to all of humanity.

   So much of Pope Benedict’s talks address the issues of life vs. death, of living open to God’s will, of accepting the purification God chooses for each of us to build on what He has given us in our talents and personalities. One cannot hear him without becoming completely conscious of the value of every human being, no matter their circumstances. He is the Pope of Hope. -=-

   Love your way with words. We are so blessed to have had JPII and now this Pope. Thanks for sharing!
Sweetums5 on June 14th, 2010