In Praise of Pope Francis

The simplicity of God implies that the essential nature of God (his essence) is one and the same with his attributes (his characteristics such as goodness, love, mercy, justice). Put another way, God has an integrity in his very nature – he cannot be other than he is, and “God is one”. His actions flow out of this very essence or nature. To thinkers such as Aquinas, God’s simplicity is a starting point from which everything else seems to flow: "God is the same as his essence or nature", he wrote (ST 1a Q3 A3).

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the new Pope elected last week, is most often described as a “simple man”. I was wondering to myself whether there is a link between the simplicity of God and the simpleness of the Pope. I was wondering, too, whether the connection might be in the word “integrity”.

Why is it that Christianity has declined in influence in economically advanced societies particularly in the northern hemisphere? Could it be that Christians have gradually converted to the cause of the dominant values of our society, which seem to be, in no particular order, materialism, affluence, and individualism? Could the major problem with the Christian faith not be its truth or falsehood, but rather that by becoming invisible in the way I have just described it simply has nothing to say to those around us – moreover, when Christians do speak, it sounds hollow: a Christian complaining about materialism whilst living in a five bedroomed house and driving an Audi A6 rather too fast has about as much credibility as a politician in a Range Rover complaining about climate change. Lifestyle has to match value- that is the nature of simplicity.

Consider the integrity (simplicity) of Pope Francis for a moment. As Cardinal in Argentina he built community centres in the centre of the worst slum dwellings. Every Easter he would wash the feet of the poor, including AIDS vicitms, in Villa 21-24, a notoriously violent slum in Buenos Aires. “You know he is simple because he liked to come here and just be with us” said one interviewee last week, “and he was always smiling”. He has told Argentinians not to come to his inauguration next Tuesday, but to give the money to the poor and he declined the papal Mercedes in favour of the collegiate minibus. (Click below to read more)

If Christianity is to impact our modern age, I think it needs to rediscover this doctrine of incarnation summed up by the simplicity of Pope Francis. We must embody Christ – the one who was homeless, poor, radically courageous and prepared to sacrifice himself. The Christian today, if he or she is truly to evangelise, needs to become visible. In the end that isn’t about doctrine, belief, or the nature of church services.

Rather, it is about embodying the values of God in the world and for the world. There is already too much hypocrisy in the world, where people say one thing and act another, without Christians themselves facing the charge Jesus so often levelled against his opponents “"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former”.

Justice, mercy and faithfulness – three values that could yet save the world.

For further reading on divine simplicity click here.

Image © Rebecca Dyer