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My Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Faith:   

 

The latest book in English about the Bishop of Rome, subtitled "Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope," arrived in book stores just in time for Christmas gifts. In fact, in the Sunday New York Times Review of December 21, Professor Molly Worthen, who teaches history at the University of North Carolina, offered a very favorable commentary about the book.

"Austen Ivereigh's The Great Reformer is no insta-book, but a graciously and meticulously researched account of Francis' life. It aims to exonerate the Pope once and for all from the charges of his critics and to correct both liberals and conservatives who  misunderstand his "radicalism." It succeeds almost entirely. His defense of Francis sometimes shades into historiography, but is the best English-language biography of the Pope to date--more importantly--raising provocative questions about the future of the Church and the relationship between religion and secular modernity."

Ivereigh delves extensively into that period of Argentine history referred to as "the Dirty Wars" (1969-1983). During that time frame of almost 15 years the military junta engaged in ruthless tactics, even murder, against its domestic enemies. A segment of that time was when Bergoglio was the Jesuit provincial of the Society of Jesus in Argentina. In her review, Professor Worthen indicates that, "When Bergoglio was elected Pope, journalists dredged up old accusations that he abandoned two activist Jesuits to the hands of the junta. Ivereigh's rebuttal based on extensive interviews and research in Spanish and English, is convincing."

Austen Ivereigh

One of the more fascinating parts of the book deals with how Jorge Mario Bergoglio came to be a contender in the conclave of 2005 and ultimately to be elected eight years later in the conclave of 2013. Ivereigh writes that the Bergoglio trajectory to the papacy reaches back to a small, snow-clad town of northern Switzerland where a small group of European bishops, led primarily by the Jesuit Cardinal, Carlo Martini, of the Archdiocese of Milan in northern Italy, began to meet in the 1990s to discuss how the Church could be more pastoral and how bishops, developing a more collegial spirit, might have a greater voice in decision-making.  It was initially this small group of Church leaders who laid the ground work that began to bear fruit in supporting the concept and the call to reform the Vatican and its way of doing business. It was some of these bishops who first recognized in Bergoglio a Church leader who exemplified the characteristics of what they were hoping to see in the person to be elected at the 2005 conclave in which Bergoglio was runner-up to Cardinal Ratzinger. This same group, along with some others, were more organized next time around  to foster Bergoglio's election. By the fourth ballot in the early afternoon of March 13th, he was only a few ballots shy of the necessary two-thirds (77 ballots) to be elected Pope. In the late afternoon of the same day Bergoglio was elected on the fifth ballot winning 95 votes.

In the Epilogue of the book, Ivereigh  writes about the many changes that have occurred in the brief 21 months of Bergoglio's reform.  He quotes Francis' answer to a question from a journalist who asked him: "Some say you are a revolutionary."

The Pope responded: "To me, the greatest  revolution is what goes to the roots, to recognize them and to see what those roots have to say at this time. There is no contradiction between being a revolutionary and going to the roots. Indeed, I believe that (strengthening) identity is the way to bring about real change. You can never take a step (forward) in life unless you do it by going back, by knowing where I come from, what surname I have, what cultural and religious surname I have."

For those looking for a well-written book about the different aspects of the life and mission of this most unusual Pope, this one is  highly recommended. You can purchase it here.

Gratefully in the Lord, 

 

The Cultural World of the Bible

 

Johns Hopkins University has long presented the Odyssey Program, a non-credit liberal arts program that affords continued Learning.

 

Beginning in February, our own Dr. John Pilch will be teaching a course called "The Cultural World of the Bible."

 

Course Description: The Bible is a Middle Eastern document written about Middle Eastern people by Middle Easterners. Because this culture and its values contrast markedly with Western culture and values, cultural (and especially Mediterranean) anthropology is a useful tool for understanding this book and to help in avoiding ethnocentric interpretations. This course will explore key Middle Eastern cultural concepts to assist in constructing a "Biblical Culture Smart Card"-similar to those provided to the armed forces serving in foreign countries. Participants will be guided through cross-cultural interpretation as the course contrasts middle class United States cultural values with those of the Mediterranean world.

 

John J. Pilch, Ph.D. (Theology, Marquette University) is a prolific author of over thirty books on the cultural world of the Bible, most recently A Cultural Handbook to the Bible (Eerdmans, 2011). He was adjunct professor of biblical literature at Georgetown University from 1993-2011. He is a parishioner of St. Ignatius Catholic Community.

 

The classes will be held on Wednesday nights (February 18 through March 25) from 6:30 - 8:30 PM at the Homewood Campus of Johns-Hopkins University.

   

The course # is 910.679.01 The Cultural World of the Bible

Its cost is $192 for 12 hours - 6 sessions

Registration:  By Phone: 410-516-8516
                     Online: www.odyssey.jhu.edu  

 

 

 

 Pope Francis is no stickler about protocol and now that extends to breastfeeding in the Sistine Chapel.

Beneath the chapel ceiling's majestic Michelangelo frescoes - including "The Last Judgment" - the gently spoken pontiff was baptizing 33 infants on Sunday when he assured the mothers they would face no judgment for nursing during the service.

"You mothers give your children milk and even now, if they cry because they are hungry, breastfeed them, don't worry," Francis said.

The pope, who's made international headlines with his un-stuffy style - he's a master at taking selfies and has been known to take kids in St. Peter's Square for a spin on the Popemobile - is not new to the cause of a mother's right to nurse in public.

In a December 2013 interview, Francis recalled a mother and baby attending one of his papal audiences at the Vatican.

"The child was crying its eyes out as I came past.," he said. "The mother was caressing it. I said to her: 'Madam, I think the child's hungry.' 'Yes, it's probably time...' she replied. 'Please give it something to eat!' I said. She was shy and didn't want to breastfeed in public, while the Pope was passing. I wish to say the same to humanity: give people something to eat!"

On Sunday, he asked the baptismal service's congregation to remember that "too many" of the world's poor "can't give food to their children."

 

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