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!

A Relevant Church, aka a Church That Takes the Gospel Seriously

In my piece The Church Young Catholics Want, I discussed the need for the Church to take seriously the experience of the faithful.  This turned out to be one of the most debated, as well as misunderstood, points.  I am not shirking responsibility on this one.  I assumed that people were on the same page as I was, which is probably the most dangerous thing a writer can do.  I didn’t take people along on my thought process or explain the teachings of Vatican II, paving the way for misunderstanding.  What I hope to do here is to bring the teachings of the Church into this conversation, as they are essential to this discussion.

Here’s why I think it is dangerous for the Church to render itself irrelevant:

-The Gospel is Always Relevant.  The Gospel always has something to speak to culture.  If the Church is irrelevant, that means the Church has strayed from the Gospel.  There may be some who think it is impossible for the Church to stray from the Gospel.  Given that the Church is made up of humans, there remains a possibility that we prioritize issues over the Gospel.  The Gospel needs to remain at the forefront of our work as a Church.  As long as we do this, the Church will be on the right track.

-Gaudium Et Spes, The Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World.*  Gaudium et Spes is unequivocal in its call for the Church to engage the world.  Simply reading the first few sections brings this to light (but read the whole thing.  It’s excellent, really).  Here are some of the passages that bring this home.

The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. GeS 1

 THE OPENING LINE!  Is there anything more beautiful?! 

Hence, giving witness and voice to the faith of the whole people of God gathered together by Christ, this council can provide no more eloquent proof of its solidarity with, as well as its respect and love for the entire human family with which it is bound up, than by engaging with it in conversation about these various problems. GeS 3

I love that this calls for conversation.  Engaging with the world is crucial.

To carry out such a task, the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. Thus, in language intelligible to each generation, she can respond to the perennial questions which men ask about this present life and the life to come, and about the relationship of the one to the other. GeS 4

I swear, this is one of the most incredible statements I’ve ever read.  Bravo, Second Vatican Council, Bravo.

Gaudium et Spes demands that we read the signs of the times and respond accordingly.  It calls the Church to take human experience seriously.  In taking experience seriously, we are not necessarily validating what is out there, though that obviously can happen.  Rather, the aim is to look at culture through the lens of the Gospel and respond accordingly.  We need to critically engage the world.  This is not only what many of the Catholic faithful are yearning for, it is also what the Church is calling us to do.

Seeking a relevant Church does not mean throwing out the Roman Catholic Church and rebuilding from scratch to create a trendy gathering that tells people what they want to hear.  It does not mean striving to be cool above all else, or even at all.  It’s quite the opposite in fact.  It means using things like tradition, scripture, social sciences, prayer and community to thoughtfully engage the world.  From this context, the Church can speak powerfully to what’s going on in the world.  At our best, the Church does this and does it well.  And there are countless examples of this, ranging from encyclicals to letters on war to the everyday lived experiences of parishes and the faithful.  By engaging with the world, the Church is able to speak truth to the world and preach the Gospel in unique ways that resonate with people, thus building rather than dividing the Body of Christ.

---

*For those want a little background, Gaudium et Spes was the final document of Vatican II.  It is the Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World.  The title translates to “joy and hope,” which is the first phrase of the document.  It was approved by a vote of 2307 to 75 and promulgated on December 7, 1965 by Pope Paul VI.

Oscar Picks

IT'S THE BIGGEST NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD!  I'm so excited for the Oscars tonight.  My picks are bolded in red, with my commentary in purple italics.

Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper in "Silver Linings Playbook"- But I really want it to be Bradley!
Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln"
Hugh Jackman in "Les Misérables"
Joaquin Phoenix in "The Master"
Denzel Washington in "Flight"

Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin in "Argo"
Robert De Niro in "Silver Linings Playbook"
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "The Master"
Tommy Lee Jones in "Lincoln"
Christoph Waltz in "Django Unchained"

Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain in "Zero Dark Thirty"- Total Toss-up between J.Law and Jess
Jennifer Lawrence in "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva in "Amour"
Quvenzhané Wallis in "Beasts of the Southern Wild"- But I love her!
Naomi Watts in "The Impossible"

Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in "The Master"
Sally Field in "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway in "Les Misérables"- Anne is by far my least favorite actress, but she'll probs win
Helen Hunt in "The Sessions"
Jacki Weaver in "Silver Linings Playbook"- I WISH she would win.  Incredible, little Jacki, incredible!

Animated Feature Film
"Brave" Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
"Frankenweenie" Tim Burton
"ParaNorman" Sam Fell and Chris Butler
"The Pirates! Band of Misfits" Peter Lord
"Wreck-It Ralph" Rich Moore

Cinematography
"Anna Karenina" Seamus McGarvey
"Django Unchained" Robert Richardson
"Life of Pi" Claudio Miranda
"Lincoln" Janusz Kaminski
"Skyfall" Roger Deakins

Costume Design
"Anna Karenina" Jacqueline Durran
"Les Misérables" Paco Delgado
"Lincoln" Joanna Johnston
"Mirror Mirror" Eiko Ishioka
"Snow White and the Huntsman" Colleen Atwood

Directing
"Amour" Michael Haneke
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" Benh Zeitlin
"Life of Pi" Ang Lee
"Lincoln" Steven Spielberg
"Silver Linings Playbook" David O. Russell

Film Editing
"Argo" William Goldenberg
"Life of Pi" Tim Squyres
"Lincoln" Michael Kahn
"Silver Linings Playbook" Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
"Zero Dark Thirty" Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg

Makeup and Hairstyling
"Hitchcock" Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"  Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane
"Les Misérables" Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Music (Original Song)
"Before My Time" from "Chasing Ice," Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
"Everybody Needs A Best Friend" from "Ted," Music by Walter Murphy; Lyric by Seth MacFarlane
"Pi's Lullaby" from "Life of Pi," Music by Mychael Danna; Lyric by Bombay Jayashri
"Skyfall" from "Skyfall," Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
"Suddenly" from "Les Misérables," Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Best Picture
"Amour" Margaret Menegoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka and Michael Katz, Producers
"Argo" Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers- Probably gonna win, but I really want SLP
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
"Django Unchained" Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
"Les Misérables" Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
"Life of Pi" Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
"Lincoln" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
"Silver Linings Playbook" Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers- This may be more hopeful than anything, but I gotta go for it.
"Zero Dark Thirty" Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers

Visual Effects
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" 
"Life of Pi" 
"Marvel's The Avengers" 
"Prometheus" 
"Snow White and the Huntsman"


Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"Argo" Screenplay by Chris Terrio
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
"Life of Pi" Screenplay by David Magee
"Lincoln" Screenplay by Tony Kushner
"Silver Linings Playbook" Screenplay by David O. Russell

Writing (Original Screenplay)
"Amour" Written by Michael Haneke
"Django Unchained" Written by Quentin Tarantino
"Flight" Written by John Gatins
"Moonrise Kingdom" Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
"Zero Dark Thirty" Written by Mark Boal

And just to be fun, my predictions for best red carpet:
Best:
Beyonce (is she even going?  I don't know.  But if she does, she'll sweep the red carpet)
J. Law.
Octavia Spencer


Worst:
Jessica Chastain--- she's been on the struggle bus with dresses this awards season
Amy Adams
Anne Hathaway, obvi

Insights on Freedom: Flannery O'Connor

One of the recurring themes of the negative comments on my Washington Post op-ed are that I am a relativist, which in reality, could not be farther from the truth.  However, I think one of the most obnoxious things in blogs is when the writer defends himself against anonymous critics.  Instead, I thought the words of Flannery O'Connor shed some insight on the situation.

"Even in the life of a Christian, faith rises and falls like the tides of an invisible sea. It's there, even when you can't see it or feel it, if you want it to be there. You realize, I think, that it is more valuable, more mysterious, altogether more immense than anything you can learn or decide upon in college. Learn what you can and cultivate Christian skepticism. It will keep you free - not free to do anything you please, but free to be formed by something larger than your own intellect."
-Flannery O'Connor, writing to a college student.

Live Life Week 1: Fast

For Lent, I am joining up with the Live Life program from World Vision.  Each week has a different challenge.  This week is fasting.

I've never been a fan of using Lent as a diet, so I immediately ruled out the idea of fasting from some sort of food.  But what could I fast from that might bring me closer to God?

My phone.

I am addicted to my phone.  Especially email.  And facebook too.  And twitter and pinterest.  And checking the weather.  And texting my friends.  So yeah, pretty much all of it.

Given that I still want to be employed at the end of the week, I knew that fasting from my phone entirely was not an option.  So I kept it simple:  I will not check my phone while walking places.

No kidding, this just might be the hardest challenge ever.  The amount of stress it is causing me is unreal.  Yet, when I make it at to the end of a 10 minute walk to my next meeting without checking my phone, there is a sense of accomplishment (obviously, not the point of the challenge, but still, it's there).  In my head, I had romantic visions of enjoying the beauty of campus and feeling close to God that way.  Unfortunately, single-digit weather and high winds are not conducive to me feeling the presence of God all around me.  But I do feel more centered and more connected with others.  And that's a really important part of Lent.