POPE FRANCIS I: A True Spirit of His Age

German philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel to this day is credited with coining the term 'Zeitgeist' (he'd apparently said something slightly different but it essentially amounted to the same thing) and Hegel is also reputed to have said 'no man can surpass his own time, for the spirit of his time is also his own spirit.' 

Pope Francis I is the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest and oldest Christian congregation in the Western world and after a manner, personifies Hegel's Zeitgeist as a modern religious leader. He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, in Argentina (the old 'Third World'), and opted to be the first papal 'Francis' thereby expressing a lifelong admiration for Saint Francis of Assisi (1182 - 1226) whose life and work as a religious leader (in those murky times) closely mirrors that of the current pope. 

Surprisingly, Pope Francis I has piqued the curiosity of millions and is 'trending' in a big way. Forty-four years ago when he was ordained as a priest (1969), the world was a very different place. Back then, religious practice, church attendance and expressing 'faith' in the form of ritual meditation (prayer) were integral parts of daily life, in many parts of the Catholic world. Communities, society, social ethics, law and order were governed and guided by shared religious values. It was therefore nothing out of the ordinary for a working day to start with prayer and priests to officiate at social gatherings and festivals (similar to modern MCs). 

Times have since changed significantly. Pope Francis I became the leader of the Church at a time when advancements in technology created massive internet-based communities, beyond simple geographical borders. The traditional parish has all but disappeared into 0s and 1s on liquid crystal displays. Mobile and satellite communication is cheap and easily accessible even in the furthest, wildest, remotest corner of Etosha National Park. More importantly, levels of education have significantly increased worldwide, global literacy rates hover above the 80th percentile, access to information is a click of the mouse away and effective information-sharing started an entirely different dialogue among Catholics. In comparison with 50 years ago, the modern Catholic is wealthier, more educated, more sophisticated and technology savvy. 

Somewhere along the historical continuum, the education and integration of women into the broader economy worldwide resulted in the distribution of wealth in unconventional demographics (single, divorced, single-parent), and their concomitant political and social empowerment created a whole new female Catholic parishioner; one the Church has never before seen and as witnessed by the strong public pronouncements of the previous pope, the Church struggled to accommodate the new feminist assertion. The media, previously an educated class privilege, via the utilisation of the world wide web, possesses the power today to reach billions of households worldwide in a matter of mere seconds, wielding tremendous power. This is hardly an environment conducive to keeping skeletons rattling in locked closets and risk reputations because the scale on which events now unfold, is immense. 

Given all of the above, it only makes sense a tolerant, open-minded, future-orientated personality would best steer the ship, guide the flock, so to speak, in these spiritually tumultuous, disillusioned times. The rise in levels of education, dawned the age of 'science' making faith in the Mysteries hard to come by. Similarly, popular, foreign 'trendy' sets of beliefs have entered the fray and promise immediate relief such as 'peace of mind' and 'serenity', among others. Enter Pope Francis I who is basically 'going with the flow' of the spirit of his time; his relaxed, non-judgmental, friendly approach scoring points everywhere and impressing every pocket of outraged, religious self-righteousness. In a very short time, he has become so 'interesting', even long-term, non-practicing Catholics are paying attention.  

Is Pope Francis I 'tainted' at all by the world? Is he aware how 'jaded' the modern Catholic is by the sales pitch of employment, successful careers and the necessities of contemporary survival? He espouses noble ideals such as justice, harmony, peace, generosity and holds a genuine belief in the basic goodness of the human being; the latter is apparent from his translated speeches and writs since ascending into papacy. The hidden halls of silent seminaries, monasteries, quiet cathedrals and the isolation of the Vatican City are glass incubators of religious idealism and so should they be. That is after all, the reason for their existence and designated roles in Catholic communities.

If reports are to be believed, Pope Francis I is not comfortable with being idealised as the religious leader of the world's largest Christian church, which is a very modern attitude and antithesis to the entire (tiring) contemporary celebrity-hero-worship circus, demonstrating an affinity for the underdogs of society; the quintessential anti-hero. He kisses infants in public, is friendly to all and sundry, forthcoming with his opinion, frank, direct and rumoured to be brutally honest. 

How should the pope be regarded by Catholics worldwide? As a 'rejuvenator' of a stagnant, outdated dogma? Should he be regarded as a charismatic leader? The Church is definitely not in favour of charismatic personalities; just take a short peek into its long history of papal candidates. It is pertinent therefore to mention that Pope Francis I, in keeping with the spirit of his time, has been known to say that instead of judging and condemning others, Catholics should rather focus on developing mercy, compassion and tenderness for their neighbours (whomever they may be), without using a popular political term known as 'tolerance'. By demonstrating his understanding of a basic universal need for acceptance, Pope Francis I is single-handedly modernising and popularising the Roman Catholic Church for the coming generations, whomever they choose to be.