Pope Francis’ Legacy
If you’ve ever read King David’s story, there is one moment that stands out. After decades of being chased by the lunatic King Saul, Saul finally dies. Yet, David refused to speak ill of him. Instead he wrote a Psalm. You can find it in 2 Samuel 1:17-27. It is called the Song of the Bow, and it exclusively praises Saul’s life and legacy.
David, after seeing a deeply flawed man pass away, rushed to praise his life and legacy. He refused to speak ill of the dead, at least in the immediate aftermath.
This last Monday, early in the morning just after Easter, Pope Francis passed. I would not call him flawed in the same way Saul was- remember that Saul left God entirely and tried to murder the new anointed for decades. I have disagreements with the Catholic church at large, and Pope Francis represented those things I disagree with, but I will likewise refuse to speak ill of the dead, at least in this immediate moment.
Instead, let’s celebrate the great things he did in the name of God.
I’d like to highlight one of his first major letters to the church, titled ‘Joy to the World’. In this, he encouraged the Catholic church to remember that it is “...the entire People of God which evangelizes…”, and that a Christian should be troubled in their heart to know that so many do not know God.
Again, I have disagreements with the Catholic church, some very stringent. With that being said, the Papacy is an institution, it is an amoral tool. When wielded in favor of the Gospel, it is moral. When it is used to promote pet social issues, it is at best morally grey. With that said, Pope Francis chose to do both, but I have to appreciate his efforts to spread the Gospel first and foremost.
When you take a man’s life into account, it is easy to focus on what he has done at the end, and forget what has happened in the past. I’d suggest that it might be better to remember what a man has done first when he has power.
Consider this. When a mayor is elected over a city, his first priorities are to reduce crime and other similar policies. If and when those problems are fixed, he’ll move on to second tier issues, and then on down as problems are hopefully solved. As the mayor begins to focus on these lesser issues, many can get caught up in talking about them exclusively, while forgetting what he did at the start.
Pope Francis started his time as Pope by encouraging Catholics to spread the Gospel and evangelize the whole earth. I have to give credit for that- this should be the priority for every preacher.
When you take his whole tenure into account, one can find many flaws. However, I’d gently ask that for this moment, as many grieve and weep, you focus on the good Pope Francis did and not add to the noise of this world.
