Ok, here we go, everyone is standing. The doors are opening. Remember the instructions, Emilio. Here he comes, he’s heading towards you don’t break protocol. Heart is racing, pulse pressure rising, here it is, he’s extending his hand, but wait….. we have to go back.
“Diversity is divine, division is diabolical.” These were amongst the last words given by a great man. Tony Palmer was thrown into the public eye when he recorded the viral video message from Pope Francis to the Protestant world in which the Holy Father prays for Christian unity. Tony had a special relationship with the Holy Father which spanned back years, all the way back to Argentina. Although he himself was not a Roman Catholic, the bond between him and the Pope was fondly paternal and deeply relational. A few months after speaking the words mentioned above, however, news of his death shattered our hearts. He was my friend, and as a Bishop in the communion, the best of us, and by all accounts an even better father and husband. He died as a witness and martyr for Christian unity and now here we were, in Rome, Italy at the very meeting which he himself arranged before his passing – us, without him in presence, but he, with us in spirit.
The following is not an in-depth theological discourse but a brief and simple synopsis of my experience with the man they now call, “The Great Reformer,” Pope Francis. I must admit that upon arriving at the Vatican, I was inundated with personal and vocational questions. Questions such as: Why is there so much division and destruction within the Body of Christ, the church? Didn’t Jesus pray for us all to become one as He and the Father were one? And what role would Pope Francis play in Christian unity and how? These were the thoughts racing through my mind as our bus pulled up to the Vatican on October 10, 2014. The Vatican is beautiful beyond belief and in all honesty I’ve never been the type to be rattled by all the divisive perceptions which have caused a pre-dominant catholiphobia amongst most Protestants.
Upon arriving at the Vatican we were greeted warmly by two priests which were assigned to give us a tour of two of the most beloved and treasured locations in Rome, the Necropolis and St. Peter’s Basilica. After a one and a half hour tour of both (both were beautiful beyond compare) we were ready to meet with the Holy Father, Pope Francis.
At the meeting room at Casa Santa Marta, I was asked to sit next to Emiliana Palmer (Tony’s wife) who next to Pope Francis. I would translate to the group (and Emiliana) in English while Pope Francis spoke in his native tongue (Spanish).
After some time of waiting, the doors of the meeting room opened and His Holiness, Pope Francis, walked into the room. As he extended his hand, I shook it and in Spanish said, “Dios te bendiga,” (God bless you). Pope Francis was gentle and loving yet commanding like a father or grandfather who never has to exert authority through force but earning it through care, wisdom and love. His instructions to us was not to refer to him as Pope or Bishop but as Father Francis, yearning to speak to us as brothers.
Our dialogue with Pope Francis lasted about an hour around the theme of Christian Unity and the Ecumenism of Blood. He was impressive and skilled at presenting his heart with his words. At one point the Pontiff exclaimed, “We are sinning against the will of Christ because we concentrate on our differences and we all have the same baptism and our baptism is more important than our differences.” This was the very first time I had ever heard a Roman Catholic Pope speak in such a tone. Immediately, my heart was stirred and my interest peaked. What was his motivation? His strength?
Now, I would like it to be understood that coming to the Vatican, I had no idea that I would be interpreting for the Holy Father, Pope Francis. Yet after such a great honor I counted myself blessed to experience not only that, but also to sit next to Pope Francis for lunch as well. It was here where I was blessed to experience, up close and personal, what motivated this giant of a man who in his brief time as Pope had shook up the Church of Rome.
As we sat there at lunch, I can remember feeling nervous but peaceful. Over the next hour at lunch, Pope Francis, Emiliana and I spoke about family, religion, church issues and the future, interspersed of course between translating for my brother bishops who would come to ask a question, make a comment, or pray with the Pontiff. It was here, that after speaking with him concerning his most pressing schedule and labor, I asked the Holy Father, “How do you do it? How do you give so much of yourself? What is your motivation?” His answer was one which I will never forget and pray even unto this day. He leaned over and gazing into my eyes told me, “God decides what kind of heart he yearns to give us, we decide whether or not we allow Him to put it in us.” With that I was floored and for the next few minutes I spoke with him and Emiliana with a knot in my throat and a fire in my heart which burned to know God’s love for the world He created all over again. Finally, lunch concluded and we walked back into the meeting room where we were to take our official photos with the Holy Father. When it was my turn, I stood next to the Pope, as I had been for almost the entire time I had been there, took my photo and, as I turned to greet him he asked, “Resa por mi,” (Pray for me) to which I answered, “I will Holy Father.” With that I said my goodbyes turned and walked with the rest of my brother bishops towards the door which lead outside of Casa Santa Marta.
Pope Francis is being called The Great Reformer and the People’s Pope and yet I couldn’t help but think that after my interaction with him, he was my Pope as well. Not because of ecclesial commitments or vows but because he embodies the heart of God in ways which captivate your heart and imagination, challenging you to once again place your heart in God’s hands without agendas. My prayer after our time together is and will always be, “God help me to recognize that this is the heart you want for me and help me to trust you enough to put it in me.
Watch the YouTube video taken during the visit:
