Whatever you may think of Roman Catholicism, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Pope as he influences one helluva lot of people. So I thought this observation by E. J. Dionne, Jr. in WaPo was of interest:
It’s not often that public figures hold themselves to the standards they apply to others. There was thus an instructive symmetry between what Francis said in his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate (“Rejoice and Be Glad”) and his own moment of necessary penance.
In the document, the pope declared that “the lack of a heartfelt and prayerful acknowledgment of our limitations prevents grace from working more effectively within us.” Humans — every single one of us — fail, falter and fall. We do far better when we admit it.
And this is what the pope did Wednesday when he apologized for his terribly misguided defense of a Chilean bishop accused of covering up abuse by an infamous pedophile priest.
Many of us who admire Francis feared that his apparent standing up for the indefensible was a sign that the 81-year-old pontiff was incapable of recognizing the Church’s profound breach of trust when it placed institutional self-preservation above a concern for the suffering of those abused by priests.
How often do you see a world leader admit to a rather serious error in judgment? Not very often. Most of them are too wrapped up in their egos, often disguised as matters of national pride or even national security. Certainly, religious world leaders, as a subset of world leaders, have a somewhat different set of priorities, but how often do you see even them confess to screwing up badly?
He sets an example that others should pay attention to – and, of course, will not.
