Florida Catholic | Bishop Barbarito’s Column

The message and the messenger

Published: 05.22.08

The apostolic visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States was an extraordinary event and it was a privilege to be part of it. His message was a powerful one, and his gentleness and loving pastoral outreach were evident in all that he said and did. The Holy Father is a man of tremendous faith and of extraordinary intellectual acumen. He communicates well by his words and by his person. There is no question that all he says comes directly from his heart. He is a man without any veneer who is not trying to impress, and that is one of the reasons he is so impressive and why his message received, and will continue to receive, attention.

Pope Benedict XVI addressed many important matters during his visit. He spoke of the religious values of our nation, of the need to reach out to the immigrant and the poor, of the primacy of family life and of the sanctity of human life at every stage. He spoke of the need for moral values in our society, of the importance to challenge our young people, and of the need to integrate our Catholic faith in all aspects of our lives and occupations. Over and over he emphasized that we cannot go to church on Sunday and separate our faith from what we do.

Pope Benedict spoke powerfully of the horrendous sin of clerical sexual abuse, met with victims of such abuse and called for continued healing of such victims. He supported and encouraged all the efforts the bishops have taken to protect our young people. The pope told the bishops that if these efforts are to achieve their full purpose, the programs and policies of child protection also need to be placed in a wider context. That wider context is the proper education of young people regarding sexual morality within our society. Here he again emphasized the centrality of family and the need to promote the Gospel of life.

It would be most beneficial to read in their entirety the talks which the pope gave on his pastoral visit. They are filled with insight, direction and truth so much needed to be heard and heeded today. They can be found on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Web site, www.usccb.org.

There were some spontaneous remarks and actions of the pope during his visit which are not formally recorded, but which witness to the heart and depth of this man and the message he imparted. These gestures and words came with gentleness, humility and a sincerity that spoke volumes in themselves. I was privileged to hear and witness some of these and there are, no doubt, may more which could be recounted.

One was the spontaneous remarks he made at St. Patrick’s Cathedral after he was congratulated on the occasion of the third anniversary of his election as pope. He said, “At this moment I can only thank you for the love of the church and Our Lord, and for the love which you show to this poor successor of St. Peter. I will try to do all that is possible to be a worthy successor of the great apostle, who was also a man with faults and sins, but remained in the end the rock for the church. And so I too, with all my spiritual poverty, can be for this time, in virtue of the Lord’s grace, the successor of Peter.”

What moving and inspiring words! This humble pope obviously takes his office seriously, but not himself. He admits his own frailty and unworthiness but trusts and relies on the grace of God. All of us can learn a great deal from the Pope’s attitude and words. As the Lord tells us, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you” (Jn 15:16). St. John also tells us, “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he has loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins” (1 Jn 4:10). Only Christ brings hope for all of us, which was the message of the pope’s entire visit: “Christ Our Hope.”

At St. Joseph’s Seminary, the pope gave a magnificent address to the young people and all present. When he finished his words in English, an aide whispered something to him and with a humble and captivating smile the pope looked at the crowd and said, “Oh yes, I forgot my Spanish.” All affectionately laughed. He then delivered some beautiful words in Spanish.

The pope spontaneously used this very minor lapse as an occasion to point to his humanity and limitations, which endeared him all the more to the crowd. He could easily have read his Spanish text, said nothing, and no one would have suspected that he forgot something. His sincere humility spoke for itself and revealed even more the depth of his character and gentleness.

At Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., the famous tenor Placido Domingo sang a beautiful post-Communion hymn. After the hymn, as he approached Pope Benedict to greet him, the pope rose to go and meet him. The Holy Father did not wait for Domingo to reach him, which is proper protocol. This unassuming gesture on the part of the pope was reported many times on other occasions during his visit.

At Yankee Stadium, when approaching his chair after Communion, the pope stumbled slightly over his long flowing chasuble, which caught the chair. He simply chuckled probably thinking no one was even watching him. This was another simple but moving manifestation of the pope’s humanity and humility.

There are other spontaneous words and gestures that occurred which revealed a great deal of Pope Benedict XVI’s warm and loving personality. They all typified the fashion in which he greeted the crowds which seemed to say, “I am grateful for your enthusiasm and affection but, “‘Why me?’”

The impact of the pope’s visit will long remain in our nation. His words and the challenge of his message have only begun to be truly appreciated and understood. The manner in which the pope presented his message spoke for itself and will give even more reason for all to want to reflect upon it in a deeper manner. As was the case with John Paul II, you cannot separate the message from the messenger. What an inspiration it was to be with this vicar of Christ!

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