The Italians have a saying: ‘After a fat pope, a thin pope,’ which essentially means that different men bring their own styles, personal qualities, and perspectives to the issues they face. Their understanding of the Petrine ministry is shaped by their unique life experiences.
The Pope, by God’s infinite imagination, is a man for his times. The Catholic Church throughout its history has had different popes, having different personalities, but always with an underlying continuity through the Magisterium (Ordinary, Conciliar and Pontifical Magisterium). We believe that the Church is not a political Institution, nor an Amazon-like corporation headed by a white-robed CEO, but a divine body guided by the Holy Spirit speaking through the living Magisterium, albeit made up of men and women with human imperfections.
On 17th December, Pope Francis will have celebrated his 88th birthday, whilst the Catholic Church continues into the 11th year of his pontificate. Whilst thanking God and reflecting on this Papacy, what comes to mind is the beautiful metaphor of Pope St. John XXIII, on the opening of the Second Vatican Council, where he proclaimed – “open the windows and let in the fresh air.” I would go a step further and add that Pope Francis in the last 11 years has not only built on the legacy of Vatican II and his predecessors but is also repositioning the Church by constantly challenging it to “think out of the box” but also simultaneously encouraging it to be rooted in the deposit of faith – continually guided by the Holy Spirit, so that the fresh air further circulates into all rooms, consequentially opening Church doors in an invitation to the heavenly wedding banquet (Mt 22:1-14), welcoming everyone(the Catholic Church is for “todos, todos, todos” – everyone, everyone, everyone).
To read the entire article, click Subscribe
