OK, this new Pope is freakin’ me out. If you’re Catholic or read my blog last year about Holy Thursday, you know that it’s a very special service. If you’re not Catholic, Holy Thursday services commemorate the Last Supper when Jesus washed the feet of His apostles. So at Holy Thursday services the priest washes the feet of the congregation, or he starts the process and then we wash each other’s feet as a sign of humility. Last year I found out it is also a lesson in receiving the gift of having one’s feet washed. Learning to receive is also a lesson in humility.
So get this: the Pope is not going to “do” Holy Thursday at the Vatican as is traditional, he’s going to a youth prison outside of Rome. Which means he will be washing and, in the case of the Pope, kissing the feet of troubled youth, who maybe have never experienced a kind act or any respect or reverence directed at them. The very thought of it brings tears to my eyes.
I don’t really have a lot of hope that “things” will change in the Church. And yet, something already has. Very definitely, it already has.
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What about respect for homosexuals?
Yes, it remains to be seen what will happen with all the negative things about the Church, but the Pope getting out of the isolation is a good start. I prefer to look at the positive things about the Church. There will always be grave imperfections because it is an institution comprised of human beings. Please see http://www.cta-usa.org/ the website of Call to Action which is a group of people who believe it is better to stay and fight for our Church to be better than to walk away in disgust. There is a common misconception that you can’t disagree with Rome and still be Catholic. Not so. It is my birthright. And as a matter of fact, it is my DUTY to disagree when my conscience tells me the institution positions are wrong, because of that birthright.
Thank you for this blog. I heard about the Pope’s plan for the Holy Thursday service. I do appreciate his humility and his commitment to the poor. It is powerful. I can only imagine the impact the Pope will have on those young people (some of whom are likely gay) as he washes their feet. Perhaps no one in their life has ever shown them such deference.
I also don’t have much hope for any significant change in direction for the Church. Personally, I give more attention to my spiritual growth than to the Church at this point in my life. And, at the same time, I don’t want to lose the “good” in search of the “perfect.” So I will continue to lend my voice to call for more from the Catholic Church.
Thank you Audrey. It’s not easy, that’s for sure. But I have said before – I can no more say that I am not Catholic than I can say I’m not a woman. I am Catholic. Practicing? Not always. Happily? Often not. Determined? Yep. Stubborn? Oh my yes.