Patrick Paglen discusses the latest controversy over Pope Francis.
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People are complicated and contradictory. I do not mean that people are universally manipulative and say contradictory things (though there’s plenty of that), but rather that the whole of a person is deep and filled with contradiction. Our reasons for behaving the way we do may not be obvious even to ourselves, and our passions and convictions can surprise each other. This is important to keep in mind, especially with those of us who are popular. We can project a simplicity on them… and their complexity then breaks our hearts. Let me present two examples:
In September, the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, visited the United States for the first time in his life. He had a packed schedule within six days, addressing the United States Congress, meeting the United States President, speaking at the United Nations, and visiting Philadelphia. Many Americans, including non-Catholic Americans, even Americans usually dismissive of religion, were thrilled and excited before and during this visit. They loved Pope Francis has emphasized compassion and justice for the poor and destitute, has criticized capitalism to the extent that calls it “the dung of the devil,” and calls for environmental justice and protection of the earth. His compassion does not end with pretty speeches, but extends to demonstrative actions; He forsakes the mozatta for more humble attire. He has washed the feet of prisoners including a Muslim woman, initiated private meetings with transgender Catholics, and he is intimately available to the homeless. While visiting our country, he invoked the Catholic anarchist Dorothy Day in his congressional address and skipped the congressional dinner in favor of lunch with DC’s homeless. Americans affiliated with “leftist” politics swooned throughout the visit.
After Francis left, a politically notorious Kentucky clerk, who defied the law to discriminate against homosexual persons, reported that she had a private meeting with the pope. According to Ms. Davis, the pope embraced her, gave her a rosary, and thanked her for her courage. First, people were apprehensive and did not want to believe it. Then their blood boiled with indignation. When the Vatican confirmed, very tersely, that the meeting had happened, the outrage intensified. The LGBT community and its allies felt collectively betrayed. They decried the head of the Roman Catholic Church as a conniving politician who actively supports hatred and is against all that he stated in public. Then the Vatican clarified that this meeting should not be seen as an endorsement of Ms. Davis’ actions. As more details from the Vatican emerged, including reports that Pope Francis had met privately with a personal friend, a married gay man, and his husband, the day before, the same foul-criers sighed in relief, as they had their hero back on “their side.”
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Now consider another extraordinary man: the first president of the United States, George Washington. The factual accounts that illustrate his character are far more impressive than any mythical cherry tree antics. Firstly, we must remember that this is a man lead not only a brand new country, but a completely new, untested, radical form of government. To maintain the dream of this governance, Washington voluntarily stepped down after two terms, consciously starting a precedent that presidents would serve a maximum of two terms. This precedent that was maintained by tradition alone before it was enacted into law. His rival from the revolutionary war, King George III, said Washington would be “the greatest man in the world” if Washington maintained this commitment. This is not the only example of him defending his country from his own potential power: The military that fought the war under Washington were rightly discontent that the new government could not honor its economic commitment to its soldiers; the consequences of this discontent could have led anywhere from chaos to a coup d’etat. Washington pacified his former loyal soldiers through a speech and a brief show of weakness. All in all, Washington was humble, just, kind, and deserved the admiration of his people and his rivals.
However, there are some behaviors and attitudes that might shake our conviction of Washington’s impeccable character. The Iroquois was a confederation of Indian nations that existed for at least 200 years before the revolutionary war. As the war went on, the confederacy tried to remain neutral but inevitably got drawn in. Nations split in opinion on which side of the war to support. After a battle during Native commanders failed to stop their troops from killing noncombatants, Washington retaliated by ordering a campaign of total destruction of settlements and ignorance of peace overtures. This is called a “Scorched Earth” policy and is today banned by the Geneva Conventions. The confederacy never recovered, and Washington became the first in a series of US leaders pursuing genocide of Native Americans.
Washington also owned slaves. His perspective on slavery slowly changed as he became older, and he freed his slaves upon his death. However, he was not particularly vocal or active in stopping the slave industry of the country he fathered.
Slavery and genocide are the most accursed examples of human wrongdoing. Do we then dismiss this man, even when the existence of our country hinges entirely to the strength of his character? Do we discard the entirety of Pope Francis’ pastoral vision when we realize he might only be 9/10ths aligned with our interests? The larger question; do we ignore or dismiss troublesome aspects of beloved and daring figures or the institutions they lead? How do we reconcile our praise with our disappointment? To love, adore, or show compassion does not mean “agree with unequivocally,” and this we can learn from Francis. Francis does not think highly of homosexuality, or queer rights; he is the head of the ancient Roman Catholic Church. Yet, in seeming contradiction to this ideology, he set aside time in his US visit to meet his personal friend and his husband. He made a special invitation to give needed spiritual support to a transgender Roman Catholic. He reaches out and shows love to others regardless of his opinions. Washington, despite his devastation of the Iroquois, and his belief that western culture superior to native tradition, regarded Iroquois nations as sovereign states. He treated their ambassadors as he would European diplomats, and made treaties that, by all accounts, he intended to honor. We can accept the complexity of a person without ignoring their faults. We engage them, do the difficult work of loving them, and maybe find the audacity to respect people who’ve earned a name like “town destroyer.”
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Photo: Flickr – Dan Lacey / friend to view all paintings/”Pope Francis Portrait Painting”
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