Blessings of a Pope

Generally speaking, no non-Catholic has anything positive to say about the papacy. This is especially true in our modern times when we are weary of having a hierarchy with one man on top. We are all about "democracy" as if that equals godliness (take for example how in the Minnesota senate the words 'the voice of the people is the voice of God' are upon the wall in Latin). So it may be odd for a Lutheran to see value in it.

Theologically speaking it has lots of problems. No doubt it is true that a bad pope can really make the whole idea of a pope seem like a bad idea. And I know many people, Catholic and otherwise, who were quite critical of the last pope, perhaps increasing the negative view of the pope.

But the current deliberation reminds me of the immense blessing that the Catholic church has in the papal system. The pope in many ways defines the direction of the church, the pope can promote or quench a theology like no one else in the Christian church. That is not to say this is always a good thing, see Pope Leo X. Nor does it mean that what happens on the top always equals what is going on in all the congregations and with all the theologians. But it does make it a lot easier to rein in the church or to push it where it has never been.

Proponents of liberation theology which has mostly been suppressed in the same church where it began could witness it become a central staple in the church were a pope to arise who believes in it. Following John XXIII who initiated Vatican II, the church stayed the direction with John Paul II. So we can see how the church can stay the course on a theological direction. The last pope shows how the church can transform (this time conservatively) and change its direction. Those critical of the pope should realize how the papacy allows that critique to perhaps end with each pope. The Catholic church, unlike any other body has a much better system of checking itself, reforming itself, and changing itself as much as it has the ability to stay the course they are on. No doubt politics and what not are in play in electing popes as in any human system, but the cardinals now can totally evaluate their church and the ministry of the Catholic church. They can try to discern what the church needs now. And they can act. They can think of what kind of leader their church needs, similar to congregational call committees considering what they are looking for in their next pastor.

Some will say the cardinals will never go this or that route, but the difference just between the last two popes should show how much they can change direction, and a willingness to try new things or dare go back to old things. In the protestant church, we are typically speaking plagued with schism over against reform (in the sense of reforming old wrongs and new wrongs). To where liberal bodies can only reform with new liberal ideas never returning to previous ones or discerning a recent direction as unwise, and conservative bodies too often are only reforming by purging itself of the new, digging in deeper to certain ways, spending countless energy quelling current trends in theology. Any attempt to reform in the "wrong direction" usually leads to schism. Both these types of reforms have merits, but too often the issues of constant reform in only one direction raises issues (and therefore: schism). The Catholic church is blessed with a system that can allow conservative and liberal reform.

If you are upset with the Catholic church, or weary of bad popes, you should be praying all the more for those cardinals, to pick a wise pope, to reform the church again. Because they are in the position we protestants should appreciate and see as a blessing. The Catholic church can continue in conservative reform, go in a more liberal one, perhaps ecumenically as JP II was or in some other direction, but they can do it. And whoever they pick can steer a ship like no one in our churches can. So we should be very interested in who they pick, and pray hard for their discernment, and for the ministry ahead for the Catholic church. All our "bible only" (or sola scripura for you churches of the Reformation) churches ought then pray for a pope who will take the bible so seriously it will drive new reforms. Pray for someone with good interpretation of scripture. Pray for Christ to lead this church through his word, and that will happen by the pope they pick, the way the Spirit captivates this pope to the word. And so this is a matter of deep prayer for them.

Whatever we say about the papacy, I seriously wonder if the word could work faster through any church system, than through one where God only has to get his word to one heart to see it preached and working on the lives of so many. Yeah I disagree with papal theology, but I see how God could captivate that church. Philip Melanchthon, beside his signature to Luther's Smalcald Articles was willing to give a grounds in which he would accept the papacy. He signed:
I, Philip Melanchthon, also regard the above articles as right and Christian. But regarding the Pope I hold that, if he would allow the Gospel, his superiority over the bishops which he has otherwise, is conceded to him by human right also by us, for the sake of peace and general unity of those Christians who are also under him, and may be under him hereafter.
Now Melanchthon is sort of difficult to appreciate at times among Lutherans, but what he saw was that would the Pope allow the gospel, the full preaching of the gospel, and only claim human authority for his position, it would be a good thing to have a pope. Perhaps he saw the value in a single voice guiding the church. With all the theological issues is the awesome way an evangelical pope could lead the church. So the pope is worth praying for, the system can be a blessing to allow them to test the spirit in a way few other churches are good at or able. May God bless the Catholic church in their discernment. I'm a little jealous.