Pope Leo’s surgery and his speedy return to the Vatican have revealed a great deal about his strength of faith, strength of health and strength of character. The doctors expressed that he was the perfect patient, taking all things in stride, including his setting up of chairs in the chapel where he was to celebrate Mass. He was described as friendly, patient, understanding and extremely cooperative. None of this should be a surprise to anyone who has observed His Holiness since his election as pope. He is an extraordinary man, not because he seeks to be extraordinary and admired by others, but because he chooses, like our Lord, in His human nature, to be ordinary, like everyone else in the best sense of the word. The pope’s speedy recovery and manner of activity are signs that he truly is extraordinary.
The 20th and 21st centuries have brought to us extraordinary men who have been given the role of Vicar of Christ. None of them sought this role. In fact, it was something they did not seek but freely accepted it as God’s will when they were elected in the papal conclave by their brother cardinals. A fair number of them have been formally canonized as saints of the Church, and this was a role they did not seek as well. They lived with a call to holiness that God gives to every one of us and were obvious examples in this regard. St. Pope John XXIII, St. Pope Paul VI, St. John Paul II, and now Blessed Pope John I all lived in extraordinary times and gave extraordinary witness to their faith by building up the Church as Vicars of Christ. Pope Benedict XVI, who surrendered the role of the papacy out of concern that failing health would be a detriment to the good of the Church, was a truly holy and humble man who manifested his deep love of the Church in his resignation. Pope Francis tirelessly worked for the Church and gave extraordinary service and witness to the poor, even while, in his later years, he suffered from various illnesses. We now have Pope Leo XIV, who demonstrates the same holiness and willingness to serve the Church as did the other popes who proceeded him.
One of the emphases that Pope Leo has consistently stressed in his papacy from the day of his election is his role in unifying the Church. In fact, the very motto which Pope Leo XIV took upon his election as pope is the same as the one he took as bishop years before, In Illo uno unum, which translates, In the one, we are one. These are the words of St. Augustine in his exposition on Psalm 127. When asked about his motto when he was cardinal, Pope Leo expressed, “As can be seen from my episcopal motto, unity and communion are truly part of the charism of the Order of St. Augustine and also of my way of acting and thinking.” The role of the pope in the life of the Church is to be the center of unity for the Body of Christ, as part of the very mission entrusted to the pope.
Unfortunately, many misunderstand the mission of the pope in terms of being the unifier of the Church and cast him in a more political role by looking for personal agendas and programs which the pope wishes to carry out in the life of the Church. The pope’s role is not to have his own agenda but to have the agenda of the one for whom he is the representative on earth, Jesus Christ. It has been the role of the pope, since the time of St. Peter, to unify the Church and to bring the message of the Gospel to the world in which the pope lives. The pope’s role is to take care of the Church, which belongs to Christ and not the pope. The recent popes of our centuries have all been men who carried out this role in a most effective manner. Pope Leo certainly continues the tradition going back to St. Peter himself. The pope hands down the teaching of Jesus Christ.
Since Pope Leo’s surgery, there have been a number of press articles commenting on the fragility that his present condition presents for the Church and for its leadership. This has been true for both the public and ecclesiastical press. Most of the concerns are completely unfounded, but the question is raised as to how the pope’s leadership is contrasted to the leadership of political leaders when such are not at all the same. We rightly look for extraordinary people to carry out public roles. However, all public figures are human and have human limitations. It is in accepting these limitations and being aware of them that the leader shows his true capability. Not having limitations does not automatically make for a good leader, but recognizing and dealing with them does. As I already stated, Pope Benedict was a sterling example of this when he unexpectedly resigned due to his age.
On his first appearance at his public Angelus on the Sunday, just a few days after his surgery, Pope Leo expressed, “This experience has made me feel particularly close to all those who are living with illness or infirmity.” These words demonstrate the deep desire of the Holy Father to serve the people of God in compassionate solidarity and not removed from the fragile experiences of life. As with the Lord, His fragility became a source of strength and not a detriment to His mission. In his audience, the pope also called for continued prayers as he knows the power of prayer in his ministry of service to others. These attitudes are very unique aspects of spiritual leadership which are not fully appreciated when comparing spiritual leadership to political leadership.
One of the fundamental aspects of Church leadership, as articulated in canon law (cf c. 1401), is that “The pope is judged by no one.” This does not mean that a pope cannot make personal mistakes, sin or speak infallibly on everything. It does not mean that he cannot be critically analyzed, but it does mean that there is no earthly court or tribunal, including ecclesiastical, that has the authority to judge him. This certainly would not be acceptable jurisprudence in any democracy, but there must be understanding of this principle when dealing with the pope, especially from a political perspective. The many popes we have known in recent years certainly have given us good reason to not be too critical in our judgment of them. The pope needs to be given the benefit of the doubt. Certainly, Pope Leo is exceptional in this regard.
We continue to give thanks to God for the leadership of the pope and particularly at this time of Pope Leo XIV. We are deeply grateful that he continues to rapidly continue his schedule and that there is no need for any further treatment. May Pope Leo’s sterling example be a good reason to learn the divine truth from what he teaches us as human beings to lead us closer to God.
Viva il Papa!
Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
