This hospitable and kindly old man
March 14, 2013
I don’t know the man. They say the new pope is humble. I don’t buy into the myth of the humble holy man. Anyone who rises so high in any institution is clever. And they have an ego. I recall in the 60s when a bunch of us in high school started a petition. It was during the civil rights struggle and we wanted the church to make a public statement about the immorality of segregation.
We went to the Archbishop of Toronto. I believe it was Carter. We were ushered into his office and we presented our petition. He seemed like a very humble man. Like Santa Claus in a way. But what I noticed when I first stepped into the office was the Picasso hanging from his wall. It was not a print.
I knew then that this hospitable and kindly old man was not going to do or say anything. And he told us as much. The Church he said would work behind the scenes. I hope I am wrong about Frances. But experience tells me otherwise.
