In Memory of Pope Francis

-Dr Rosemary Varghese

My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’ -Matthew 21:13

Pope Francis left the world in the wake of the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection, completing his mission as a true and faithful apostle of Christ-- the Word, the Way and the Truth. Leaving aside all differences of religion and nationality, the world united as one to pay their final respects to a man whose nobility of purpose and action made him stand tall among others in the same league, lending a voice to the unheard, shining a light into the dark corners of social rejection. Indeed, he was referred to as the Pope of the Periphery, as he battled for the downtrodden— migrants, drug addicts, LGBTQ, prisoners,-- in the face of harsh criticism from sections of the Catholic Church itself.

His life was an authentic example of true Christianity in the footsteps of his Master Jesus Christ. Jesus was criticized for his association with tax collectors and prostitutes-- but he stood with them till they were able to walk independently in the light. Similarly, the Pope’s  position regarding gay rights and migrant communities and woman priests have hit the dividing walls that Catholic countries and communities have built, in order to insulate themselves in their righteous ivory towers. His speech to the US Congress still echoes in the collective global conscience where he stressed on two important issues- the migrant community and the arms industry. In the strongest words, the oft quoted question and its unambiguous answer was laid on the table by the Pontiff- Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. Nearly a decade later, the situation on ground may still be the same, with the Trump administration leading the march against migrants, and the wars still raging on. But the seeds have been sown and in Gods good time, the plant will bear fruit.  

The world acknowledged the Pope as a human rights crusader who sought to make space for the vast expanse of humanity who bear the burden of unjust and restrictive laws imposed on them by those in power. But that is only part of the story. His courage of conviction was wholly in sync with his Master’s  thought process, and he never fought shy of decrying hypocrisy and falsehood, within and outside the seminary. Mattew 23 describes Jesus pronouncing judgement on the scribes and pharisees for their extreme duplicity and injustice-. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you consume the houses of widows, praying long prayers. Because of this, you shall receive the greater judgment. Pope Francis matched the mood and tone of  Christ’s words in his condemnation of paedophile priests whose horrific acts had somehow been brushed under the carpet for decades under the protective mantle of the Church leadership. He was determined that the guilty should be punished for a crime that destroyed their victims but left them alive to suffer its effects for a lifetime!

The Church in Kerala, India, has had a troubled association with the Pope, on the liturgical mode to be adopted for Holy Mass.  The divided Syro-Malabar Church had sent their separate emissaries to meet him and discuss the issue barely a year back, in the month of May. The Pope was clearly with the Synod’s  decision and warned the dissenting group  of the consequences of disobedience, and of the danger of harping on one detail, prioritizing it above every other consideration. He explained the problem as follows—"It stems from a self-referentiality, which leads to listening to no other way of thinking but one’s own. In Spanish we call this self-referentiality “yo, me, mi, con migo, para mi”: “I, me, with me, for me, everything for me”. Emphasizing its meaning and consequences in two languages, he categorically stated that this is the work of the devil, who divides where God seeks to unite.

Unfortunately, there has been no compromise on the issue and the main Basilica under the Ernakulam -Angamaly archdiocese still remains closed for Eucharistic celebrations. Had the Pope lived longer, he would have visited India, and possibly its Catholic stronghold Kerala. It is difficult to say whether he would have approved of some of the other gala events that happen in the name of feast days of certain saints. Right now, we are in the midst of the fanfare of St George’s feast which was flagged off a couple of days back. The celebrations follow a Jewish trend and remind us of the time Jesus drove away the money changers and those who were selling doves from the temple premises accusing them of turning ‘the house of prayer’ into a den of thieves.

 . The business of buying and selling the animals for sacrifice in the Jewish temple was a money spinner for the temple authorities. The similarities to the festival celebrations at St George Church, Edapally, in Kochi are unmistakable. Here chicken take the place of goats and doves in the Jewish temple, and they are auctioned to the highest bidders at highly inflated prices. Tradition has it that these are prepared and eaten in the premises surrounding the church itself, and some families like to keep those traditions alive. However, as the evening wears on, the place seems to be affected by a Bacchanalian breeze, as tradition gives way to  liquor parties, and the festival ground functions as an unofficial open air  pub where the chicken dishes serve as a great accompaniment to the spirits that flow freely in the name of St George.

As a community. we watch helplessly as a deadly virus destroys the very roots of the Syro-Malabar community in Kerala. Already the main Basilica of the Ernakulam -Angamaly archdiocese lies motionless, barely alive. Its main churches are out to use opportunities that will help them prosper through generous public offerings, even at the cost of making the Father’s house a market place or a pub, as the case may be.

If only we could learn from the spirituality of Pope Francis, from the life that he led, and from his counsel, that adhered so closely to the Word. May his blessings be upon our churches and on our present predicament, and may we be able to find a cure for this malaise at the feet of Jesus.