Pope Francis is a radical. And he’s potent. He is so radical that he says and does things that are very surprising to many. He says them in such a positive way that millions are charmed by his style, especially his calls to upset the social and political status quo. He’s continually surprising the world with statements that reflect his sheer determination to get the entire world to align with Rome in collaboration if not in worship, at least for now.
For example, recently, while on his week-long trip to Latin America, during mass in an open air youth meeting, he sidelined his prepared script and said to loud cheers from the audience just outside the country’s capital, Asuncion, “They wrote a speech for me to give you. But speeches are boring.” Francis then urged the young people to “make a mess.” “Carry on creating a ruckus;” he said, and “organize that ruckus without ruining anything.”
The impromptu appeal was the final speech of his three-country trip. Ending the speech with a prayer, he sounded more like a Pentecostal pastor than a papal monarch. “Lord Jesus, I thank you for being here, I thank you because you gave me brothers and a sister like Manuel, Orlando, and Liz (three young people that gave testimonies). I thank you because you have given us many brothers and sisters like them. They found you, Jesus. They know you, Jesus. They know that you, their God, are their strength. Jesus, I pray for all those young boys and girls who do not know that you are their strength and who are afraid to live, afraid to be happy, afraid to have dreams. Jesus, teach them how to dream, to dream big, to dream beautiful things, things, which, although they seem ordinary, are things which enlarge the heart. Lord Jesus, give us strength. Give us a free heart. Give us hope. Give us love and teach us how to serve. Amen.”
Obviously, his words connected with the young people present. Francis is not a staid papal ruler. He is friendly, warm, engaging, approachable and charismatic. This makes his appeal to unite with Rome more powerful than the world has seen in a long time, perhaps even more powerful than Pope John Paul II. Keep in mind that Pentecostals, known in Latin America as evangelicals, have taken millions of members out of the Catholic Church. If Pope Francis is going to appeal to evangelicals and woo them back, he has to talk like them. He has to talk to them in language that aligns with their thinking. This he does very well. Pope Francis is the perfect pope for the ecumenical movement and for reclaiming lost ground in Latin America.
But what was Francis’ message to the young people in Paraguay and throughout Latin America all about, particularly that part about making a ruckus? Pope Francis is probably talking to some of the future leaders of Latin America mixed in that crowd. Throughout his speech he spoke of “solidarity.” And throughout Latin America he has been slamming capitalism as “dung of the devil,” that “enslaves men and women” in a “systemic greed for money.” Now he was calling on the youth to undo unbridled capitalism in the name of Christ.
Keep in mind while there are unacceptable aspects of capitalism, he is not merely addressing these. Pope Francis is determined to do what he can to radically reform the world in terms of the economy, society and even religion. Through political engagement on a global scale, through appeals for more wealth redistribution through internationalist institutions like the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, central banks, and other economic institutions he is working to take wealth from economically powerful countries and give it to poor countries. His new encyclical skillfully ties together economic inequality, globalism and the environment.
His message to the youth of Paraguay was certainly meant for youth throughout capitalist countries as well. Popes have often called for all those things in an effort to create more centralize government and control of education, health care, welfare and other collective programs and bring them under the moral influence of Rome.
The pope’s public appeal has powerful effects on political leadership, through their citizens. And you don’t have to look very far. Notice how much socialization has taken control in western developed countries these days. But it’s really everywhere. There is a radical change taking place throughout the world and it is aligning with Rome. And it is leading to a socialization of religion, in which all will worship in the way Rome prescribes.
The cheering and enthusiasm in Paraguay reflects the powerful appeal of a charismatic pope who speaks with great power to all people through the Roman Churches 1.2 billion Catholics.
“And all the world wondered…” Revelation 13:3
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