Papa Giovanni – Il Papa BuonoHe Gathered God’s Scattered Children
August 21, 2011, 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time
Isaiah 22:19-23 Romans 11:33-36 Matthew 16:13-20
Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord.
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you: “You are Peter, the Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
The Gospel of the Lord
Thanks be to God
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Introduction
Packers instead of politicians
So it is going to be football for 5 straight months. And the return of football season will be a welcomed relief and distraction from the terrible ordeal which politicians are putting the nation through, as they choose to put the work of their party before the people. They almost brought the nation to the brink of economic disaster. Someone has said that compromise is the art of knowing how to divide the cake in such a way that everyone believes he’s getting the biggest piece. That art has been lost in Washington today.
Boehner and Barack at a bar after six
Tip O’Neil was a well-beloved Democratic Speaker in the House when Ronald Reagan was president. The two of them would have a drink together on a special occasion, while searching for bridges of compromise between their differences. It was said of them: “They were friends after six pm.” What a welcome relief it would be, if that were the tone in Washington today! What a great blessing it would be, if the present speaker of the House John Boehner and President Barack Obama would sit down together at some bar after six! What walls could start crumbling! What wheels of compromise could be set in motion. As it is now, Republics go home to drink, and Democrats go home to drink. What could happen, if they also sat down at times, and drank with each other? The art of compromise these days has disappeared in Washington. As we head now into the new football season, what a relief it will be to turn our attention away from politicians and the bad political atmosphere through which they’ve just put us. What a relief it will be to turn our attention, momentarily at least, to football - that great all-American game which Americans always use to momentarily forget their problems.
The great St. Peter’s Basilica
The clear-cut interpretation of Catholics
The Roman Catholic interpretation of Matthew 16:18-19 is clear-cut. Jesus is saying to Simon bar Jonah: I give you Simon a new name because I am going to give you a new job. I now call you Peter, Rock, because on you, as on a solid rock-foundation, I am going to build my Church. And when I take leave and ascend to my Father, you, Peter, are to be my vicar.
Out of that interpretation rose the magnificent basilica of St. Peter’s, one of the seven great wonders of the world. Out of that interpretation was sculptured the fierce statue of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, with blessing in one hand, a key in the other and a protruding foot worn smooth by the kisses and touches of the faithful down through the centuries
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Many good Christians don’t agree with it.
Many good Christians don’t agree with that clear-cut Roman Catholic interpretation which gives Peter such an exalted position. It doesn’t make sense, they say. They quote various Scriptures which don’t paint a good picture of Peter. For example, when he is walking on the water toward the Lord and starts to sink, Jesus scolds him for his lack of faith. (Mt 14:28–31) When Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus, the High Priest’s slave, Jesus scolds him again saying, “Put your sword back in its place. Don’t you understand that I have to drink the cup which the Father has given me?”(Jn 18:11) Worst of all, the four canonical gospels relate that at the Last Supper Jesus foretells that Peter would deny ever knowing Him. Peter goes out of the upper room and denies Jesus not once but three times. (Mt 26:69-75) Many good Christians, therefore, find it hard to believe that Jesus would build His Church on such a man.
Other interpretations
There are other interpretations besides the clear-cut interpretation of Roman Catholics. The early Church Fathers were not unanimous in their understanding of the “Thou art Peter” Scripture. Launoy, a Roman Catholic scholar of the 17th century, compiled a list of varying interpretations of the Petrine text in the early Church. 17 Fathers believed the Rock was Peter. 44 believed the Rock was the faith of Peter who had just confessed Jesus as the Messiah. 16 said the Rock was Christ. St. Augustine initially thought the Rock was Peter, but he later changed his mind, saying that each one should make up his own mind. Swiss German theologian Fr. Hans Kung maintains that in the early centuries no one viewed Matthew 16:18-19 as justifying today’s papacy.
An expansive take on the Petrine Office
Like the 17 Church Fathers Fr. John Hunwicke, an Anglican priest and theologian, believes that the Rock is Peter and that the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is Peter’s successor. Does that mean he wants to become a Roman Catholic? Not at all! Both he and his Anglican brethren harbor too much affection for their Anglican tradition to do that. Though he doesn’t want to become a Roman Catholic, he does want to be an Anglican in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. But he wants to be in full communion with a Pope whose job-description is not to rule over the whole Church but to serve its universal communion. By that Fr. Hunwicke means that the job-description of the Bishop of Rome should be not to lord it over the universal Church but to serve it by protecting and promoting its universal communion – its union between Orthodox, Anglicans and Roman Catholics. That, indeed, is an expansive take on the Petrine office.
An even more expansive take on the Petrine office
Evangelist John writes that the high priest prophesied that Jesus would, "die for the Jewish people, and not only for them, but also to gather together all God’s scattered children.” (Jn 11:52) Can we push the envelope further and say that the Bishop of Rome’s job-description is similar to that of Jesus: to gather together all God’s scattered children? Can we say his job-description is to foster communion not just between Orthodox, Anglicans and Roman Catholics but also between all God’s scattered children: Lutherans, Presbyterians, as well as Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus etc. That, indeed, would be an even more expansive take on the Petrine office.
The Church's official position
The Church’s official position does not perceive the Petrine office so magnanimously. In 2000, Cardinal Ratzinger as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a 36-page document entitled Dominus Iesus (Jesus the Lord). It warned Catholics not to water down the very extraordinary uniqueness of Jesus when dealing with Buddhism and Hinduism. In dialoguing with non-Catholic Christian churches, the document also warned us not to water down the extraordinary uniqueness of the Catholic Church.
The document, heavy with ponderous theology, was disheartening for ecumenists who for thirty years were laboriously trying to gather together God’s scattered children; the document instead seemed to be scattering God’s children. At times it even seemed arrogant and condescending in such remarks as, “Though non-Catholic churches suffer from defects, they by no means have been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation.”
An unofficial position
When Ratzinger assumed the Petrine office as Pope Benedict XVI he approved a document which restated the key sections of Dominus Iesus. The Rev. Sara MacVane of the Anglican Center in Rome said there was nothing new in the new document, and she didn’t know what motivated it. She pointed out, however, that there is the `official’ position, and then there’s an `unofficial’ position, which is infused with a spirit of fellowship and with a desire to gather together all God’s scattered children. That `unofficial’ position even worships with others. That’s certainly true, she said, between Anglicans and Catholics, and also between other groups and Catholics.
A triumphant Catholic and a disappointed one
On the other hand, a very disappointed Catholic gentleman responding to the same Vatican document writes, “As an American Catholic, I want to apologize to my non-Catholic friends and acquaintances for the arrogance of my Church toward them.”
Pope John Paul II -- gathering God’s scattered children
In response to the apocalyptic event of 9/11, 2001, Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) invited all God’s scattered children to summit with him for Peace on Earth at Assisi, the birthday place of St. Francis. On January 24, 2002 they came from the four corners of the earth: Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Mormons, Mennonites together with Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Shintoists and followers of African tribal religions. That was the third time John Paul had gathered together such a stellar assembly of all God’s scattered children.
Pope John XXIII -- gathering God’s scattered children
In an even more stellar style Pope John XXIII (1881-1963) gathered all God’s scattered children. In April of 1963 he issued his encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth.) It is one of the most famous of 20th century encyclicals. He died from cancer two months after its completion, and it was John’s last love letter to the Universal Church and to the world. John opened his farewell encyclical in the usual way that encyclicals always open:
To Our Venerable Brethren the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and all other Local Ordinaries who are at Peace and in Communion with the Apostolic See, and to the Clergy and Faithful of the entire Catholic World…
But then Good Pope John added to the typical encyclical addressee a very special stroke of his own: “and to all Men of Good Will.” That surprising addition reflected John’s great all-embracing spirit: he wanted his last love letter to speak not only to the family of the Church but also to the family of the whole human race.
To Our Venerable Brethren the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and all other Local Ordinaries who are at Peace and in Communion with the Apostolic See, and to the Clergy and Faithful of the entire Catholic World…
But then Good Pope John added to the typical encyclical addressee a very special stroke of his own: “and to all Men of Good Will.” That surprising addition reflected John’s great all-embracing spirit: he wanted his last love letter to speak not only to the family of the Church but also to the family of the whole human race.
Conclusion
Il Papa Buono
Il Papa Buono
John did such a wonderful job of gathering together all God’s scattered children that Italians affectionately called him Il Papa Buono – The Good Pope. And when on 3 June 1963 he lay dying, the whole world was kneeling at his bedside. (We, who were tuned into the news that day, know that this is no exaggeration.) John did such a wonderful job of gathering together all God’s scattered children that he is commemorated on June 3 (his death anniversary day) even by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and on June 4 by the Anglican Church of Canada.
I am saddened by my Church when it scatters God’s children. But I am very proud of her when, like Jesus, she gathers them together. I am very proud of her when the Rock upon which she is built is a man like Il Papa Buono.
A triumphant Catholic gentlemen responding to Dominus Iesus said, “The ultimate goal of dialogue among the various Christian religions is to eventually bring these people back into the Catholic Church. Three cheers to the Pope for having the courage to say it.” Another triumphant Catholic sang the same song: “With Dominus Iesus the cafeteria now is closed! No more picking and choosing. All religions are not created equal. Period!”
