Pope Francis, Happy 85th Birthday!
The Bishop of Rome celebrates his birthday today. We respect this prominent faith leader, but the focus of our attention at this time of the year is on another birthday in eight days. A week and a day from now, we celebrate Christmas. First, however, we will give the Pope his due and light up some celebratory birthday candles on this day.
Pope Francis has set a different tone for the Roman Catholic Church’s dialogue with other non-Catholic denominations. His ecumenical overtures towards other faith traditions have thawed strained relations, many that have existed for centuries. He has greatly enhanced the Roman Catholic Church’s interfaith dialogues initially began in the 1960s. Francis’s approach in listening and compassionately conversing with other faith leaders have lessened tensions regarding ancient theological differences.
In 1054, Christendom split in two, known as the Great Schism, forming a Western Church (Roman) and an Eastern Church (Orthodox). Some significant differences caused the split. First, the West believed the Bishop of Rome had universal authority while the East contended the leadership was regional only. Second, the West confesses the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son, while the East confesses the Spirit proceeds only from the Father. Third, the West uses unleavened bread for Holy Communion, and the East uses leavened bread. Fourth, the West requires clergy to remain celibate, and the East permits priests to be married if married before entering the priesthood.
In 1517, Martin Luther sparked the Reformation, the next biggest schism in Christendom. Luther presented his 95 Theses, protesting the corruption in the Catholic Church. Among the Protestant positions offered during the ensuing disputes with the papal leadership was the doctrine that we are saved by grace alone (not works), that the Bible solely should be the source of our beliefs, and that the Pope is not the source of authority.
Pope Francis may not resolve these long-standing positions, but he has encouraged a climate of respect and understanding of contrary theologies. He has done this through developing personal relationships with other leaders and participating in ecumenical gatherings. Two months ago, he congratulated Patriarch Bartholomew I (his Orthodox church counterpart) on his 30th anniversary as Archbishop of Constantinople. Francis expressed his “deep fraternal affection” and his spiritual closeness in “a holy embrace in the love of Christ the Lord.” In 2017, Francis traveled to Sweden to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Embracing Bishop Dr. Mubid Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation (see above photo), the Pope said, “The Father is constantly concerned for our relationship with Jesus, to see if we are truly one with him. He watches over us, and his gaze of love inspires us to purify our past and to work in the present to bring about the future of unity that he so greatly desires.”
Happy Birthday, Pope Francis, and thank you for your efforts towards Christian unity. On Sunday, December 19 we gather for the reason of unity, Jesus Christ. We invite you to join us for worship services at 9:00 AM (half-hour spoken liturgy with Holy Communion) or 10:00 AM (traditional liturgy with Holy Communion). The 10:00 AM liturgy will include our children’s annual Christmas pageant.