The destination chosen by the new Pope for his
first trip outside the diocese of Rome is a perfect representation of
who Francis is and what he represents to the Church and the world. He accepted the invitation sent to him by the parish priest of the Italian island of Lampedusa, after he was shocked by the news of so many immigrants losing their lives aboard decrepit boats-turned-human graves.
The trip is a highly symbolic one for a number of reasons. Most importantly, Francis wants to show his closeness to those living in poverty, desperation and decline. He wanted to get close to those people who live in a different world we pretend not to see, a world we have grown used to because our “culture of well-being” which “makes us insensitive to the cries of others , that makes us live in soap bubbles, that brings even the globalization of indifference.”
Looking visibly shaken in his violet-coloured vestments, the Pope repeated this question to himself and to all those present: “Who is responsible for this blood? No one! We all respond this way: not me, it has nothing to do with me, there are others.”
Francis’ presence more than his words were a cry to people not to close their hearts, but to come out of their comfortable “soap bubbles”, look at reality in the face and welcome and look after our brothers in suffering. It is a test of everyone’s conscience, without exception.
But the Pope’s visit to Lampedusa on this hot summer day is emblematic for other reasons as well.
The Pope has shown that he can travel around Italy without all the usual pomp and ceremony of a papal visit, without queues of politicians and institutional representatives in tow and without being surrounded by bishops and cardinals.
He can go and private visit – or at least as private as a papal visit can be – doing away with anything superfluous, getting around in an off-road car and using a wooden crozier and chalice made using the wood from the boats that came to the island carrying groups of immigrants in desperate search of a better life.
The Pope’s visit to Lampedusa, the gateway to Europe could be a possible model for the future, the promise of a pontificate of change, which is evident even in its early days.
On a number of occasions this week, Pope Francis
spoke about the importance of getting close tot he poor to touch
Christ’s body and wounds. Building a foundation to help everyone and doing lots of good deeds to help them is not enough. All this is important, but it is merely philanthropic.
The Church is not an NGO and a Christian’s duties are not limited to philanthropic acts.
Christians are called to go and physically embrace the poor and the suffering because in doing so they embrace Christ’s body.
This is exactly what Pope Francis did today.