The Musings 30
Read: Deuteronomy 31
You wake up in the
morning with a hope that all that you hear is pleasant and good. But yesterday
people all over the world woke up in the morning with a startling news, a historic announcement that Pope Benedicts
XVI had resigned. There was lot of mixed feeling and emotions
as people started searching different new agencies to confirm the reports that
were coming in. Finally the truth came out and dawned on million of people all
over the world that yes Pope had indeed announced his intention of resigning
and that he would demit the office of the Pope on February 28th. The
resignation of the Pope has saddened the heart of millions of his followers
especially those belonging to the Catholic Church. Saddened by the fact that it
is for the first time in 600 years, that a Pope had showed the willingness to
resign. In the last 600 years only two
Pope had resigned. The first resignation was by Celestine V who in 1294 abdicated from the Papal office in a span of
less than five months. This was when Charles II of Sicily was the ruler.
Celestine realized that he would only be figure head for the secular powers and
that he won't be able to discharge the office of Pope in a faithful manner and
hence decided to demit office. Next to demit office was Gregory XII
[1406-1417], who resigned during the great western schism. Now Pope Benedict
XVI has made his intention to demit the Papal office. With his intention of
resignation being known to the public, people are at a strange loss, at a
feeling that you don't have a leader to give you direction, you don't have a
leader to inspire faith living and to give vision to the church. But then Pope
has announced that the reason for his resignation is on health grounds. In the
full text that he had made available to the Press, we find a honest evaluation
of his life and ministry as the supreme head of the Catholic church. Pope
states that he has repeatedly examined his conscience before God, and has come
to the conclusion that because of his advancing age and the health issues
associated with the advancing age, he feels that he cannot do justice to the ministry of Jesus Christ, as a successor to Apostle Peter and that he
feels that, the spiritual ministry that he is supposed to carry forward should
be done in both words and action and for this to happen a lot prayer and suffering is required on his
part. Pope has been very candid about his inability to move forward at his
present level of health since he feels that to do justice to the ministry he
needs to be strengthened, in both body and mind. Therefore taking into the
seriousness of the ministry and the huge responsibility that it entails, the
Pope admitted that he is not in a capacity to fulfill faithfully the duties
that has been assigned to him as the supreme head of the Catholic Church. The
news of the impending resignation has been greeted by lot of questions. Is
there any need for the Pope to resign?. There are so many Cardinals in the
Vatican and they are there to help the Pope and after all Pope is only a
spiritual authority so why can't Pope continue even if his health may be
failing:?. What about those politicians who are also in the same age as the
Pope who feels that they still have many more years to exercise authority or
before they think they will become senile.
In a world where people find hard to hand over power, or relinquish the so called powers of
authority, the Pope has set a legacy in the history of the Catholic Church. At
this time, I proudly remember our late Valiya Metropolitan Alexander Marthoma,
who was also very gracious in willing to demit his office of the Metropolitan
to the then Suffargan Metropolitan Philipose Mar Chrysostom. Chrysostom
thirumeni thus became the Metropolitan of the Marthoma Church, with Alexander
Marthoma Metropolitan becoming the Valiya Metropolitan. That legacy continued
with Philipose Mar Chrysostom Metropolitan also, as he
also demitted the office of the Metropolitan to the present Metropolitan Joseph
Marthoma. In a time when Christians all over observe lent, the Pope has set an
exemplary model at the time of lent. A model of renunciation, a legacy
where one should not be holding on to
power, on the contrary be gracious
enough to understand ones limitations and help the church to find dedicated and
committed leaders for the future.
When we read the
Bible, we will also find leaders in the history of the church and in the nation
of Israel who was willing to demit the power of authority that had been vested
on them. One of the most poignant incident is recorded in Deuteronomy 30. In this you find Moses calling up Joshua and
informing the people of Israel that he will be unable to be their leader in
their ongoing journey to promised land. Moses tells the people that he is
hundred and twenty years old and that he will no longer be able to lead them.
He also reminds them about them the God's
judgment about him "Because
you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of Israelites,
you will not bring this community into the land I give them" [ Num 20:
12]. Moses knows that he will not be able to lead them to the promised land,
but then he has no regrets that he could not join them. He understands God's
judgment. But in this passage what should be highlighted is not the judgment of
God on the contrary the genuineness, the transparency and the willingness of
Moses to bring out his frailties and also in the process nurture Joshua as the
leader who would lead the Israel to the promised land. To tell others how weak
and frail I am, requires a lot of courage. This is what both Pope Benedict XVI
and Moses have in common. Here is Moses declaring that he is old and that he is
not in the correct physical frame, both in body and mind to lead the
Israelites. It is not just about the promised land, but just to be a leader of
Israel was being tough for Moses. Here
is Moses ready to let go. To let go is not easy and thus you have countless
leaders both in the religious and political field holding on to power and
positions of authority. It is in such context, that Moses teaches us that we
need to learn to let go our hunger for power, let go the craving to rule over
others. As Pope Benedict XVI resigns, he leaves behind a void in the throne of
Peter, which will now take some time to fulfill, as the procedures have to
completed to elect a new Pope. But he has left a legacy, a trail blazing path
in showing others, that when one feels weak and frail and one feels that one
incompetent to rule or govern, one should be wise to let go all those positions
of power and authority and move to the next stage of calling in life which God
has set for each one of us. Thus my belief is that lent is all about letting go
our desires and hunger for power and authority. Ready to let go?