Everybody Wants a Pope

Appreciating the blessings of being Catholic

John 21:15-19

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them,  he said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;  but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

            Don’t you think it’s really cool to be Catholic?  I do!  Just think about all the neat stuff we have that most other Christians don’t get.  We pray the rosary and statues line our churches.  We have celibate priests and flying nuns, like Sr. Mary Sarto.  We’re so cool Hollywood makes even movies about us like “The Bells of St. Mary’s” with Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby and “Mass Appeal” with Jack Lemmon.  But do you know what’s the coolest thing of all?  We got the pope, baby!  And Pope Francis is the most popular person on the planet today.  Now, everybody wants a pope!

             Of course, being pope is not a popularity contest.  It’s about loving and serving, just like Jesus reminded the first pope, Peter, in the gospel today.  Jesus asks Peter three times do you love me, and three times Jesus commands Peter to feed his sheep.  The pope’s love for Jesus is not so that he can become Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year,” but so the pope can better care for the flock with Christ’s own love.

             Let me tell you another cool thing about being Catholic.  Every Catholic can directly appeal their case to the pope.  Now get this.  If you have some problem you’re dealing with in the Church, and feel your pastor or bishop will not give you a fair shake, you can ask the pope to hear your case.  Really.  Canon 1417 of the Church’s Code of Canon Law gives every Catholic the right to appeal their case straight to the pope.  The Scriptural sanction for this extraordinary appeal process comes from the first reading from Acts 25, where St. Paul appeals directly to Caesar to hear his case.  This principle of Roman law – a right of every Roman citizen – found its way into canon law as an appeal to the pope.  This is just another example of how the pope obeys Jesus command to “feed my sheep.”

             I wonder how many people who leave the Catholic Church realize how much cool stuff they lose.  They walk away from Holy Communion and humble Confession, from the Knights Templars and the Knights of Columbus, from baptizing babies and Monday night Bingo!  But most of all, they walk away from the one person Jesus specifically commanded three times to feed his sheep: the pope  That love of Christ to feed his sheep is codified in canon law and beams in the smile of Pope Francis’ face.

             Let us pray and work tirelessly to invite all lapsed Catholics back to the Church.  After all, we got all the cool stuff.

             Praised be Jesus Christ!