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The Pope is dying, and with him another chapter in the history of the Church is closing. The news keeps coming, the faithful pray, the Catholic world wonders about its legacy. For many, it is a moment of turmoil, a prelude to a spiritual void that is difficult to fill.
Yet, for me, it is not like that at all…
Given that I love the Church with all my heart and that I owe a lot to it for what I am today, I don’t disown it at all, and I never will… Even though I have made the love of GOD, the search for Truth and the study of the Holy Scriptures my mission, the news of the death of a Pope doesn’t shake me, and I don’t feel sorry at all. It’s not a lack of sensitivity, on the contrary, and as far as the man, Bergoglio, is concerned, I’m happy that he will fall asleep and finally be reunited with his fathers:
“Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and satisfied with life, and was gathered to his fathers.”
(Genesis 25, 8)“The Lord said to Moses: ‘Behold, you are about to sleep with your fathers; and this people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land where they are going to live, and will forsake me, breaking the covenant I have established with them.’”
(Deuteronomy 31, 16)
As for the figure of the Pope, as he is conceived today, he is already dead to me. St. Malachy was absolutely right, I have always maintained this, in fact it was one of my first posts here on ASH, in 2015, ten years ago… The end of the Papacy was predicted centuries ago, also through this prophecy:
In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit.
Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus;
quibus transactis, civitas septis colli diruetur,
et Iudex tremendus iudicabit populum suum. Finis.
(Prophecy of Saint Malachy, Lignum Vitae, 1595)
During the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, will sit.
Peter the Roman, who will shepherd the sheep through many tribulations;
after these, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful Judge will judge his people. The end.
(Profetia Sancti Malachiae, Lignum Vitae, 1595)
Calculating the dates, the prediction concerns our era: Pietro il Romano is identified with the Pope who succeeded Ratzinger, and considering that Bergoglio was the substitute for Benedict XVI, it seems that the end of the cycle of the man who calls himself “Holy Father” (and who, among other titles he has according to canon law, is: Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, etc.) is now imminent…
So, the real agony, the reason for crying, for me, is not that of the normal passing of a man, but the extraordinary one of the slow disappearance of the Church itself…
But one could therefore think that, with the hypothetical end of the Papacy, the Church too is destined to end? Obviously yes, but let the unbelievers not rejoice, because the “end” can also be rebirth, and like the phoenix the Church will finally be able to spread its wings and fly, finally reaching higher, purer, more worthy places.
I want to be sincere, even at the risk of appearing to be what I am not. However, I write with the certainty that my heart, my soul and my thoughts remain extremely respectful, and I apologize if I don’t express myself well with words.
If I have said something wrong,” Jesus replied, ‘then show me where I have gone wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?’
(Jn 18:23)
In any case, before I begin, I would like to emphasize that I am and always will be open to discussing what I write in this post in more depth through private conversations, email exchanges, and any other kind of exchange that I continue to do on a regular basis, leaving cracks, windows and doors open. Human and peaceful dialogue is the key to growth, for everyone, myself included.
I therefore affirm with conviction that, theologically, the death of Pope Francis does not affect me at all, quite the contrary. To embrace my ancestors again is my dream… I await it with great impatience, and therefore I can’t imagine that this Pope, a man of faith, doesn’t know this theological truth (why do you think Saints are celebrated on the day of their death on the liturgical calendar and not on the day of their birth?).
The fact that another man of flesh and blood has left us doesn’t change anything. What makes me suffer more and more is the agony of my beloved Church. And in the seven points that I will explain below, I will try to explain exactly why.
The Church Without a Leader: An Empty Throne?
Not at all. On the contrary, it is precisely when the Church deposes and annihilates its illegitimate throne that GOD will truly return to dwell among believers. This is not my theory, but a prophecy of many, as announced by Saint Malachy centuries ago. The end of the Church’s human throne will not be its destruction, but its true renewal.
If I haven’t explained myself sufficiently, I will do so now with a concrete example. Let’s imagine that Pope Francis dies tomorrow and that a high-ranking Church official approaches me and says:
“My Lord, we recognize your commitment, your integrity and your faith. You are just and you don’t speak for yourself, but only for the glory of GOD. Become Pope over us, be a leader among believers!”
(By the way, did you know that according to canon law a simple baptized man, and not necessarily a cleric, can be elected Pope? That’s right, you probably didn’t know because no one tells you. Certain details are not revealed to us “mere mortals” … But let’s not dwell on this any further, because I’ll write another post on this topic.)
Let’s get back to the “story”… Do you know what I would answer?
“Me become Pope? Your words honor me, and although I absolutely do not seek earthly recognition, well, elect me Pope anyway, and take me to look out the window of St. Peter’s Square. I have an urgent message for believers.”
Imagine the scene: once adorned in white robes, perfumed with the finest oils, prepared to be kissed and revered, and after having immediately received the episcopal ordination to be able to exercise my role, I climb the pulpit for my first sermon. I look out and proclaim:
“Believers in the Most High GOD, Father of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael and Jacob, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, listen to me! During my pontificate I will do only two things:
First: I will give all the Church’s assets, all property, all wealth and all works of art, and all other material possessions to the poor of this world. The Church will no longer contribute to “leaving someone behind”, but will set a true example of generosity, humility and poverty, only in this way will it be able to return to its rightful role. A role that is not that of governors and kings, but of legislators and prophets, of spiritual guides. We will concern ourselves only with pure prayer, the study of the Word, works of love towards the needy, helping the powerful to find themselves again and guiding the people of the believers towards an Era of Peace. But this can only be done from the bottom up, as Jesus did, not from the top down, as they have tried to do for millennia without success.
And the second thing I will do is resign immediately from my post, but first I will annul “ad aeternum”, forever, the figure of the Holy Father on Earth. There is only one Father and he is in Heaven, but here on Earth there will never again be a “leader” above other believers! Let the States form and direct the political leaders, but among believers we are and must prove that we are all equal, as brothers and sisters before GOD the Father, as our Lord Jesus taught.”
After these words, I would leave. I would take off my robes, abandon all titles, and disappear. I would go back to studying, to praying, to writing at the Abrahamic Study Hall, to working for a just cause: Peace. I would return to my family, to my children, to the simple life, because this is true wealth and true power, the simplicity of faith, as Solomon the Magnificent teaches:
“Behold, this only have I found, that GOD hath made man simple, yet have they sought out many inventions.”
(Ecclesiastes 7, 29)
Well, how many would believe that, in this way, the Church would come to an end?
I certainly wouldn’t. On the contrary, the Church would return to greatness by stripping itself of everything. Because GOD rewards every good deed.
The true Church is not found within the walls of the Vatican, in golden palaces or in honorary titles; it is not in landed estates or bank accounts… The true Church is in the hearts of its billions of believers, in the vast majority of righteous clergymen, who nevertheless cannot practice justice because bureaucracy prevents it. It is among those who seek GOD with purity, without compromise and without fear of losing the superfluous in order to find the essential.
Conclusions
First of all, I apologize to anyone who may have perceived my words as disrespectful. It is not my intention to disrespect anyone, nor to undermine the faith of those who sincerely believe in the Church as it is today. I write with passion, but with deep respect for all those who, in good faith, serve GOD through the ecclesiastical institution. However, precisely because I love the Church, I was born in the Christian city par excellence, and I wish to see it shine in its purest form, I cannot remain silent about what I believe is its true mission.
What would such a change really mean for the Church today?
Such a renewal would lead to a Church finally free from temporal power, a Church that does not depend on political privileges or material wealth, but that finds its strength in faith and in pure service to GOD and to mankind. It would be a return to the original spirit of the apostles: a community of believers that doesn’t seek to govern, but to serve, that doesn’t aspire to earthly influence, but to spiritual elevation.
A change of this magnitude would obviously trigger strong reactions. Established interests would fight with all means to maintain their power, and many, even among the faithful, would find it difficult to accept such a radical transformation. Abandoning earthly structures would mean giving up privileges, material security, the very idea of a strong institution in the world. And yet, isn’t this precisely the original calling of the Church? Isn’t this the teaching of Christ, who preached a kingdom that is not of this world?
The real question
If the Church existed only to serve GOD, and not to maintain earthly power, would it not finally be what it should be?
If, instead of golden palaces, honorary titles and boundless wealth, the Church were to become a beacon of spiritual light for the world, would it not be greater than it has ever been?
If its pastors walked among the people as Christ did, if their only wealth was the Word of GOD, if their only purpose was to guide the faithful towards Truth and Peace, would this not be the true mission of the Church?
And it will be precisely when the Church empties itself of its earthly power that GOD will return to fill it with His Glory.