Monday, October 20, 2014

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 19, 2014

       My first days in the seminary were an exciting time for me as an 18-year-old college freshman. In addition, it was an exciting time for the Church on a broader scale. Pope Paul had died just a few weeks before, and my first full day of orientation was the day that the Conclave elected Pope John Paul I. Little could we imagine that the new pope would live only 33 days before a sudden heart attack would force yet another Conclave and the election of a the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.

        As one who always enjoyed the study of history, I found myself fascinated with these changes in the papacy. I came to see that during much of the Church’s history, the popes had been frequently weak of sometimes corrupt, and that the papacy had been at the center of many power struggles. All of that helped me recognize what an amazing time we lived in. In modern times the Catholic Church has been led by some of the most dynamic and effective leaders in its history. More importantly, we have been led by some of the holiest and most prayerful leaders.

        This is a good time to reflect on these holy men, as this month we celebrate the feast days of two of our newest saints, Pope St. John XXIII and Pope St. John Paul II. St. John was an older man when he was elected in 1958, and no one expected anything more than a caretaker pope. Yet moved by the Holy Spirit, St. John called the Second Vatican Council, which created such a renewal in the Church. St. John Paul, as Bishop Karol Wojtyla, was a very active participant in the Council. As pope, he consolidated many of the developments of the Council and set a direction for the Church that will continue to influence us for generations. Both were canonized earlier this year. St. John’s feast day is October 11, the anniversary of the opening of the Council. St. John Paul’s feast day is coming up this Wednesday, October 22, which is the anniversary of his liturgical installation as pope.

         Sometimes overlooked is the important figure who stood in between those two giants. This Sunday in Rome, Pope Francis will preside over the beatification of Pope Paul VI. As Archbishop Giovanni Montini, he had a clear vision of the Church, which he would discuss with his friend, Cardinal Angelo Roncalli. When Roncalli became Pope John XXIII, Montini’s vision became part of what St. John relied upon in calling the Vatican Council. When St. John died after the first session of the Council, Montini was the obvious choice for a successor to bring the Council to completion. He dedication to ecumenism and his decision to be the first pope in many years to travel outside of Rome both influenced St. John Paul. So while in many ways Pope Paul is overlooked in comparison to those who came before and after, I find this to be a very joyous day. Today we can pray, “Blessed Paul VI, pray for us.”
                     

                                                                                                                            Father H