Habemus Papam!

At this point, I think I might be a little too excited to form coherent thoughts about the new papacy of Francis.

Here are my initial thoughts:

-I like that he isn't easy to nail down on the conservative/liberal spectrum.  He was appointed by Pope John Paul II, meaning he obviously is going to have a conservative streak.  Yet, his actions seem to line up with a liberal pope.  I like that he is a little of each; this means that he is someone who really engages the issues and grapples with them, not someone who just does what is expected of him.  A great trait in a pope.

-Of course, a lot has been made over his choosing of his name.  The Vatican confirmed it was after St. Francis of Assisi.  There is so much to this that I don't even know where to start.  I love that as a Jesuit he picked Francis.  This seems fitting with his track record of looking for the best in others, whether it be religious orders or other religions.  St. Francis' spirit can be characterized by renewal and commitment to the Gospel.  Obviously, these have huge implications for the papacy.  I'll be interested to hear more about why he chose Francis.  I also love that he is the first Pope to choose Francis.  Could this signal that he is looking at the papacy through a new lens?

-He is the first non-European pope in 1200 years.  This is so huge that I cannot even explain it in words.  We are truly a global church, and this affirms it.

-Most importantly, he began his papacy by asking the world to join him in prayer.  To me, this signals that he sees the Church as the people.  He knows he must rely upon the people throughout his papacy.  There are few things that a Pope could do that is more encouraging than this.  In fact, I cannot think of one.

As the product of 8 years of Jesuit education, I'd be amiss not to mention that he is a Jesuit.  I literally screamed nonstop when I realized this.  And then we had to explain to my 15 month old niece that they were good screams.  AMDG.


And of course, he takes public transit.  I just love this picture.

I'm thrilled.  THRILLED.  Seriously, words cannot describe how excited I am.  I consider myself someone who is generally hopeful about the Church and this is probably the most hopeful I have ever been.

Welcome, Pope Francis!

Sede Vacante: Transitions and the Neutral Zone

Even though I have known for more than 2 weeks that Pope Benedict XVI's resignation was coming yesterday, there was a finality and sadness to it that I wasn't anticipating.

Rationally, I knew he would fly to Castel Gandolfo.  I knew this resignation would take place at 8 pm.  But somehow, seeing this, made it real in a new way.  

Yes, the Vatican website is what made it real to me.  With Pope Benedict's coat of arms missing, and the words "APOSTOLICA SEDES VACANS," there was a finality to it.

Likewise, seeing the locking of the papal apartments sent a wave of sadness and communicated the finality.  Even this tradition, which was established to prevent the looting of the apartments by Roman citizens (which is not really a threat these days...), has a beauty in its simplicity.

It's no secret that I love to study transitions, and one of the most basic parts of transition is the structure: end, middle/"the neutral zone", a new beginning.  The locking of the papal apartment marks a solid end.  Yet it also takes us to a new space: the neutral zone.

The neutral zone is the meat of the transition (ironic, as I write this on a Lenten Friday).  It is where the ups and downs happen; it's the core of the transition.  William Bridges describes it as a time when our former existence no longer fits, yet we aren't quite ready for a new beginning yet.

So, as we sit in this time of transition, there is one thing we are called to do above all else: pray.  Pray for our Church.  Pray for the College of Cardinals in the Conclave.  Pray.

Catholic Conversations: The Young Faithful on the Papacy

Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Amy Eddings of WNYC's All Things Considered regarding the future of the papacy.  It was truly a bucket-list item (or my equivalent, 30 before 30).  I was joined on the call by Brandon Vogt, a blogger who is quite prolific and worth a look if you don't know him already.

More than anything, it was an opportunity to take a step back and reflect on the future of the Church in this time of transition, as well as to get into some of the nuances.

You can find the full interview on WNYC's website by clicking here.  Or, you can also listen to it below.  It's just 5 minutes of your time!