5 Birthday Wishes For Pope Francis
Pope Francis is 80 on Saturday. At his general audience today the crowds sang 'happy birthday' to him in advance, prompting him to remark: "Thank you very much for your greetings for my upcoming birthday. But I'll tell you something that will make you laugh. In my country, expressing greetings ahead of time brings bad luck and those who do it are jinxers."
In the justified expectation of an outpouring of goodwill for a man who has single-handedly revitalised the Catholic Church's image since his accession in 2013, the Vatican has set up special email addresses for anyone wanting to wish him many happy returns (the English one is PopeFrancis80@vatican.va). Or you can tweet with the hashtag #Pontifex80 and wish him 'felicem diem natalem' – Happy Birthday in Latin.
It's safe to say millions of Catholics will get in touch. But here's what one evangelical Protestant hopes for the Pope's remaining years.
1. I hope he stands up to bullies. His encyclical Amoris Laetitia ("The Joy of Love") is a moving reflection on what love means in today's world. He's tried to put grace first, without budging on the Church's teaching about marriage. Lots of conservatives say it's confusing and they're pushing back. I hope they can learn to live with confusion; life is messier than theology would like it to be.
2. I hope he carries on enjoying life. Pope Francis has lived by his faith for decades. It isn't exactly mine, but it's clear that he knows and loves Christ and is known and loved by him. In the evening of his life, I hope he's able to look back with some satisfaction and a sense that it was well spent.
3. I hope he learns from his predecessor. Pope Benedict XVI retired when he felt he couldn't carry on effectively any longer, and that sets a good precedent. Queen Elizabeth has vowed never to do so, but that's a bit different: the Pope is the chief executive of a vast organisation, and it needs someone at the helm who can manage it. John Paul II went on far too long, and it was just sad. If Francis were to retire in a few years it might be good for the Church as well as for him.
4. I hope he carries on provoking people. Francis is very well-read theologically, but he isn't – as Benedict was – primarily a theologian, but a pastor. He speaks from the heart about real people, and being Pope hasn't detached him from their real-life experience. What he says sometimes isn't what you'd expect a Pope to say, but it comes from a heart full of grace.
5. I hope he carries on reaching out to people like me. The besetting temptation of the Roman Catholic Church has always been pride – the sense that it, and it alone, is the true Church and that everyone else is just wrong. Formally, it has to keep on believing that. But in practice, Francis' behaviour has set a different tone in relationships with Protestant and Orthodox Churches. It has not always been reciprocated, but that hasn't stopped him.
Pope Francis has been a great ambassador not just for the Roman Catholic Church, but for the whole Church.
Felicem diem natalem.
