The Great and Powerful

THERE is news all over and they are all good.

The whole world has been shown bits and pieces of not only who the new Pope is but also what the new Pope is. They are not an overwhelming saturation of details. They are just stories, photos and videos of, unexpectedly, not really about his religious fervor, but more about how human he is just like everybody else.

There is no need to keep on repeating the blow-by-blow account of what he has done and how he has been since becoming the new Pope. There is already an abundance of stories, seemingly mundane, but mean a lot to a flock that has been dwindling in numbers and that has been weakening in faith and the practice of this faith.

This early, we cannot help but notice a resurgence, not only of interest, but also of renewal of loyalty, allegiance and obedience in the ways of the church that has in recent time been tarnished by scandals and misdeeds.

Indeed, the new Pope, a frontrunner in the previous conclave but failed to get enough votes, has proven that the time has come for a new kind of shepherd, his kind of being a shepherd, in a day and age of modern technology and waning spirituality. In fact, many are saying that his time should have come earlier, but it is good that his time has finally come, whether delayed or belated or just in time.

The new Pope, however, is just one person. The church must be able to download or cascade, even popularize, the way the new Pope is. All the cardinals, bishops, priests and other church leaders must be able to emulate his example, not only with regards to the contents of his sermons and his statements, but also with regards to the form of his leadership, stewardship and character.

The only way for the church, not just to survive but, more importantly, to expand, is for all church leaders to be more like the new Pope, in order to bring back the trust and faith of the people to the church and in order to gain more members who are not only members in title but also in action.

There is no politics, or public relations, at all with the new Pope. Everything is sincere, heartfelt and for the good of the poor who need help and the environment that needs protection. There is no intervention in the affairs of the state, only an involvement in uplifting the lives of those who are downtrodden, only a contribution in the prevention of the abuse of our earth.

In localities everywhere, there needs to be better preaching and sharing of the gospel, not just in reading it but, more importantly, in simplifying it in a language that people understand and comprehend, and accept, and believe, and practice.

In localities everywhere, there needs to be better action not just words, in the service for the poor, in the service for the environment, in the service for all those who need help, in the service for all those who or that need protection.

In localities everywhere, there needs to be better realization and rationalization for the need for faith, for the church, for its leaders, for service, and for everything else that is good, right and just.

The new Pope has had a remarkable start. But, then again, the more important part of the journey is a remarkable end. This can only be insured and assured if not only the new Pope, but also the entire church and all of its leaders, walk the same path and run the same course. This is the challenge of the moment.

Be that as it may, as of now, the good news is that the new Pope and his persona has been shown to be the humble and simple, not really the great and powerful.

*****

Comments are most welcome. Please send them to onesmallvoice2013@gmail.com.