This past week both the Cuban and American television networks and people around the world were consumed by the historic visit of Pope Francis to Cuba and the United States of America. The visit represented the first by Pope Francis and the seventh official papal visit to the United States since the U.S. established full diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1984.

The Pope’s ‘Apostolic journey to the United States of America’ as it was termed, captivated the world and the U.S. welcomed him as man of the people as he visited three major cities – Washington D.C.; New York, which included an address to the United Nations’ General Assembly; and Philadelphia. Prior to his US visit, the Pope visited the three Cuban cities of Havana, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba. This piece considers the man regarded by many as the new face and conscience of the Vatican as well as the message his life teaches.

The papacy
The office of the pope is bestowed upon the head of the Roman Catholic Church and catholic doctrine records that the papacy dates back to Saint Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Indeed devout Christians will recall the Bible scripture in which Jesus stated to Peter: ‘Upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it’. Catholics widely regard Saint Peter as the first Pope and Bishop of Rome.

The Pope, also known as the Holy Father, the pontiff or the Vicar of Christ, is said to be the spiritual head of all Christendom and the symbol of unity within the Christian church. The apostle’s creed reiterated by many Christians globally including Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists and Protestants confirm that followers of these denominations believe in one Holy catholic and apostolic church founded by Christ.

Additionally, many Roman Catholics believe in the doctrine of papal infallibility - which does not assert that the pope can do no wrong, but rather, it is believed that when the pope is providing clarity on matters of faith and moral issues he is guided and protected by the Holy Spirit and cannot speak in error.

A unique selection
According to Vatican statistics, there are approximately 1.2 billion Roman Catholics across the globe, 40 per cent of which reside in Latin America (roughly to 483 million persons). Considering that there are approximately 2.4 billion Christians globally, Catholics represent about half of the Christian population.

The Argentine Pope Francis was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936 to Italian immigrant parents and was named Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was selected as a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001. Having been elected the pope by a conclave of 115 Cardinals in 2013, he is the 266th pope of the Catholic Church by consequence of being the Bishop of Rome and the sovereign of the Vatican City, of which he is a national.

The selection of Pope Francis was significant as he became the first Latin American pope and indeed the first pope from the Americas. His ascension to this high office also received much attention as it came following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on February 28, 2013 who had cited “a lack of strength of mind and body” due to his advanced age. Pope Benedict was the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415 and the first to voluntarily resign since Pope Celestine V in 1294.

Witamy ojca swietgo
The Polish letters: “Witamy ojca swietgo” which translate into “We welcome your Holiness” graced a two-foot-high sign at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Center in 1979. The event was the historic papal visit of Pope John Paul II to The Bahamas in 1979 and many still hold fond memories of that visit. The record reflects that thousands of Bahamians and visitors gathered for hours at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Center to catch a glimpse of a man with a presence which very few individuals in the history of the world can boast of.

At the time of that visit 36 years ago, it was estimated that approximately 41,000 of the 225,000 Bahamians were Catholic. The International Religious Freedom Report of 2008 released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor records that more than 90 percent of Bahamians claimed a religion of which a significant amount of persons practice Christianity. Approximately 14 percent of Bahamians are Roman Catholic, third behind Baptists (35 percent) and Anglicans (15 percent). Hence, it is fair to state that the Catholic Church is well represented in The Bahamas today.

The practical sermon
Pope Francis is widely regarded as a pope who has chosen not to follow the status quo and has rejected privileges that his previous predecessors enjoyed. His humility and philosophy of servanthood were evident during many of his addresses during this historic visit. During his address to the joint session of congress, Pope Francis challenged his listeners, telling them that each son and daughter of any given country possesses a personal and social responsibility. He reminded the congressmen gathered that they were the representatives of the people and that their role was to ensure that laws passed in congress served to improve the condition of the nation and consequently the lives of the people that they were sent to congress to represent.

When speaking of politics, Pope Francis asserted: “You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk”.

Also of note were the pope’s remarks during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on the role of international financial agencies and the importance of a level playing field to ensure equity and dignity among the peoples of the world. The address occurred a little over a week after the opening of the 70th session where the pope intimated that “Economic and social exclusion is a complete denial of human fraternity and a grave offense against human rights and environment”.

The Holy Father said this against the backdrop of praising the good works of the UN and its associated bodies, but emphasized that all nations should be represented around the decision-making table and that financial agencies should refrain from abuse and usury and avoid oppressive lending practices to smaller nations that has the potential to increase the incidence of poverty.

Conclusion
As many stood in awe in the presence of His Holiness during his recent visit, one thing was clear – this was no ordinary man or a regular religious leader. There was a constant and consistent view among people he came in contact with that he is a humble man who is able to connect with the masses effortlessly. He made them feel like human beings and equals even though he is a man of power and much influence. One observer opined that he exemplified the type of leadership that the world needs today.

The Holy Father covered many topics that touch the lives of people around the world during his voyage. He confronted the issues of poverty, fundamental human rights, morality and fairness as the Bible teaches, climate change and immigration. He noted that “we live to serve and not serve to live” as he delivered a masterpiece on the concept of servanthood and inclusion by political leaders; a speech that will not be forgotten in a hurry. The Bahamas can benefit from his wise teachings.

This piece closes with the blessings pronounced on The Bahamas by Pope John Paul II in 1979: “I ask God to lead you to the full achievement of your destiny. May he give to the people of The Bahamas rich and lasting blessings. May he assist the poor, comfort the sick, guide the youth and bring peace to every heart”.

Heaven knows that we need this prayer in our country today and it is perhaps more relevant to our nation in 2015.

• Arinthia S. Komolafe is an attorney-at-law. Comments on this article can be directed to a.s.komolafe510@gmail.com.

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