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PDF versionQ & A: James Roberts
by Michael Sean Winters on Sep. 10, 2010
We finish our week of interviews with editors of the British Catholic weekly The Tablet here at Q & A with the comments of James Roberts, assistant editor.
The question: What is the most important thing Pope Benedict must say or do when he is in the UK next week?
James Roberts: The Pope has one job, ultimately, and that is to save souls by spreading the Gospel message. On a pastoral visit, it is in order to focus primarily on strengthening the faith of the flock, but a state visit is to the whole country, and the focus must be different. Large swathes of Britain have forgotten the Gospel message, or have never heard it. The Pope’s viisit must therefore be a missionary one.
However, this raises the question of how does he persuasively and credibly talk of the Christian road to salvation, when the Catholic Church is stigmatised in the popular mind as arrogant and uncaring, because of its teaching on contraception and sexuality, and as sinful and hypocritical, because of its association with child sexual abuse, and the deliberate cover-up of its criminality in this area.
The answer is that the Pope must show how a Christian and a Catholic lives out his or her faith in these circumstances. The truth sets us free, and is a friend of reason, so he must acknowledge the truth about sex abuse. Then, in the areas of sexuality, he must defend the Church’s positions in a rational way that other rational, non-religious people can understand. Undefended teaching is non-rational or irrational.
But beyond this, he must address the charges of arrogance so easily levelled against the Church. He must demonstrate what humility is like to a society that finds the concept increasingly difficult to understand. He can do this in his words, his demeanour and his dress. To a society that puts its faith in the ego, he must show what it is like to live with the Lord, not one’s ego, as one’s shepherd.
That last paragraph will be
That last paragraph will be the tough one. I wonder if the Pope still has any of his black suits. He might consider wearing one rather than upstage the Queen when they meet.
How in the world can he
How in the world can he possibly defend an irrational thesis like Humanae Vitae in a rational manner to a populace that has long ago poured down the drain the medieval hierarchical Kool Aid?
Perhaps he could wear the
Perhaps he could wear the sandels and simple robe of monks - would that not be a twist - to establish a new way for Popes to dress - not in regalia, but in simple garb - as befitting servants - which they are called to be. There is a dress code when being with the reigning monarch of England, but am sure she allows simple monks to come in the garb of their order. Perhaps that is the special mark that Pope Benedict can use to show true humility for the abuse, to garb himself in simple garments for the remainder of his papacy - now that would be a memorable event espousing true humility - especially if he would require that of all the heirarchy for the current millenium as a penance for the sins of abuse. And what a savings to the coffers.
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