Like so many people around the world, I woke up to the news that Pope Francis has died. The news cycle will no doubt be in a continuous loop of commentary, filled with whatever bias that particular speaker may harbor. Everyone will have an opinion on his papacy and legacy. But what if we refocus, and instead of bias we consider encounter.
Pope Francis leaves a legacy of encounter, committed as he was to visiting marginalized communities, inter-religious dialogue, engaging the poor and vulnerable, and advocacy for migrants and refugees. This past Holy Thursday at his visit to Regina Coeli prison, he lamented not being able to wash the feet of prisoners this year.
The Gospel is a story of encounter. It is the story of God’s pursuit of humanity and the transformative meetings between Jesus and individuals, culminating in the ultimate encounter: Jesus’ death and resurrection, which opens the way for humanity to meet God intimately through grace. God continually seeks us, meeting us where we are, and transforming us through relationship.
In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis exhorts that we are to be missionary disciples:
“Evangelisers thus take on the ‘smell of the sheep’ and the sheep are willing to hear their voice” (EG, 24)
Encounters with His Sheep
One of the charming ways that Pope Francis stepped out of the crowd and into personal encounter was in his delight when the youth took selfies with him. I’m not suggesting that these physical encounters were anything more than the joy of meeting the Pope, or the joy the Pope took in meeting the youth. What it definitely was, indeed continued to be, was the opportunity to be present, even for just a fleeting moment, to an individual or intimate group.
That is the gist of his papacy, a papacy filled with encounter. Perhaps there were hopes for a transformative papacy, an ushering in of reforms in a time when the church was steeped in controversy. Instead, Pope Francis smelled of his sheep.
A Surprise Selfie with the Pope
In 2015, I had the pleasure of meeting Pope Francis on his Apostolic trip to Cuba. His theme for this trip, Missionary of Mercy, was driven by his desire to be a witness to the message of mercy. It was a powerful message for a communist regime, but more so for the people of Cuba. It was a powerful opportunity for encounter.
My family had the opportunity for a private audience with Pope Francis. It was an intimate moment because of many complex circumstances, one I explain at length in this post from a couple of months ago. But, the bottom line is that when Pope Francis and I spoke, in a brief exchange in which he asked about my family, I felt an ineffable feeling of encounter. His eyes took me in warmly, and it wasn’t the Pope, but a warm Father that delighted in my request for a selfie. I was unable to capture the twinkle in his eye, but I did get the selfie.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
