Pope John Paul II

I have had several lengthy conversations with co-workers about the leadership of the Catholic church - the Pope. It was suggested by my friends, who are not Catholic, that perhaps the Pope should resign and let someone stronger lead the Church. If you want to pass on my drivel - at least check out the link for the story I found.

I am letting my Catholic roots show here for a moment, because I want to take a little digression before I explain why he has not resigned. I like having one person who is ultimately responsible for the Church - a place where the buck stops. When I look to my Protestant friends, there is not a "single" person who heads most churches. Could you say that Billy Graham has more authority than James Dobson 0r than Max Lucado or Martin Luther or that any of these men has the power within the protestant church to declare the final decision? You can't really - and that is the benefit of a Pope - he is like the father of the family, lots of members of the family may express their opinions and disagree, but the bottom-line, final decision is his to make. There are many people who have insight into Christianity and it is easy for lines to become blurred and Christian doctrine can easily become intermingled with secular humanism and mysticism and all manner of New Age thinking. Though I am not a fan of hierarchy because it tends to bring out the worst in people - in this case I think it is a necessary evil. Someone has to be ultimately responsible until we come up with a direct phone line to ask God questions - without relying on merely passages from scripture - and their human interpretations.

Yesterday I happened upon an article in Newsweek of all places which talks about the Pope and his suffering. The article points out beautifully what I have been trying to explain - this is an elected position within the Church, and there are diplomatic duties, to be sure, but the Papacy is ultimately a calling, like being an oncology nurse or missionary or a soldier in Bosnia. There is a deeply resonating duty and responsibility to do what you are called to do- even though it doesn't make sense to the outside world (blessed are you when people laugh at you and mock you because of Me). Truth is, a calling isn't supposed to make sense to others - but it makes sense to God. The calling is fulfilled when God's purpose is met - and more importantly, you can tell you are doing what you are called to do by the fruits of your labor. Are lives changed? Are you making a difference one person - or millions of people - at a time? Then you are doing it right.

The Pope leaves a remarkable legacy -lots of saints, dealing with the exposure and healing of the Church during the molestation scandals, traveling to see more countries than any Pope before, publicly visiting and forgiving the man who shot him, standing against the culture of death- even though it is not popular at all in America, and in spite of the fact that this very stand may prolong his own suffering. He isn't just talk, he has walked the walk he calls us to - and because he has time and time again shown himself to be a man of integrity - I trust that he will also know when and if it is time to step down. The Pope is a man who has devoted most of his life to God - and to the Church. I am infinitely comfortable believing that he knows some things that I don't about the will of God and the plans of God. I don't support his decision to stay Pope blindly, I support it because I trust him to continue to do what he thinks is right and because I have enough sense to know that in this particular arena - he has the doctorate - and I am still working on my diploma.