 |
| Silvana De Mari |
Dearest Papa Francesco,
I address you in a familiar manner because I now realize how much you love being an ordinary person, without frills, without gold and without ermine, an ordinary person, like anybody else. An ordinary person who likes to watch soccer. An ordinary person who like many chat amiably in the airplane … A common person like many others. We need a Pope .
Forgive me, dear Papa Francesco, not to call you, your Holiness, I believe you to be a delightful person, the ideal neighbor, but we need a Pope. They kill Christians as dogs. Your Holiness, between a soccer game and the kissing of a disabled child or two, could you do a little something more in line with your role? In the last couple of hours 10 churches have been burned in Egypt. Could you do something?
Perhaps put on your trappings, the gold and ermine, which are not trash, your Holiness, but are symbols of 2000 years of history and with that “stuff” go to Egypt instead of watching soccer? It's not just Balotelli who wants to talk to you, there are also the parish priests of the Catholic churches in Nigeria that would have something to say, I mean those who survived; those already dead have nothing to say.
At a time when Christianity is under attack as never before, we need Holiness in a Pope. We need someone to appoint as the first problem the Christians massacred in Nigeria and Christians massacred in Pakistan during an Easter homily, because they’re but now they’re dead, and why Holiness were they were killed, and with them the freedom to human dignity?
Holiness, I don’t want to teach you how to do so, I understand that you are a professional when it comes to Christianity and I a fledgling amateur, but sometimes it happens that amateurs are brighter in judgment. Noah's Ark, for example, was built and run by amateurs, while the Titanic was built and guided by professionals.
I do not want to jinx you with the comparison, but Christianity gives me the impression of the Titanic. The iceberg is called Islam: you say it's so good and spiritual, if you say that as an expert, it may be so. But, I insist, the captain of the Titanic was also an expert, one of the best.
St. Peter was an amateur, however, for half his life he'd been a fisherman, zero theological studies, a duckling compared to you. St. Peter said to the Romans that they, as human beings, of course, were brothers, sons of the same God, but that their religion was false. His task was to convert them or die in the attempt of converting them to the one true faith, not finding merits in a false faith so that those who are born into it never leave it. St Peter died in the attempt, but eventually converted them. Should not this be your role? Convert to Christianity. Or die in the attempt .
On the island of Lampedusa you need had to utter a single sentence I bring the love of God. Throughout the Koran the word love is not mentioned once. It would have sufficed. On Lampedusa you bowed in front of the "spirituality" of Ramadan, you bowed to Islam, and you represent Christ. He Who represents Christ does not bow before anyone: I am the way , the Truth and the Life.
I am the Life, the Truth and the Way, but no matter what efforts to evangelize, even to proselytize, because it appears so much all religions are equal; Your Holiness, in my Gospel it does not say this. Or is yours is a different gospel, or there is an excess of professionalism that is crushing.
St. Peter to the Romans had said that they, of course, were brothers, but that their religion was false. He was killed because of saying this. Holiness people die. People are murdered. People die a horrible death. You go to watch soccer. We need a Pope . Someone who is the heir of Jesus Christ and St. Peter, someone who is willing to be hated . Because it's all here. Jesus Christ was killed by people who hated him. St. Peter was killed by people who hated him. Anyone Who is fighting for a cause, will be hated.
Whoever tolerates everything the opposite of everything with the usual happy face is a conniving. We cannot be loved by all, if we stand for something. If I remember correctly it is also written in the Gospels. Do not be afraid to be hated. Your predecessor was hated a lot. Also sentenced to death by a fatwa after his Regensburg speech, Osama Bin Laden had decreed his death.
You are loved by all, Your Holiness. Are you sure that's an advantage? I think the time has come to be hated. Put on all your trappings, which are not trash but symbols of 2,000 years of history, give the weight of those 2000 years, and go to Cairo, and fight for Coptic Christians, and weep over their burned churches and then go to Syria and then later to Pakistan. Then, if you have time, you can also go to a soccer game but I don’t think that time will allow it. We are at the darkest moment of Christianity since the beginning of time. We need a Pope .
[With thanks to Anthony Fraser]