May 12, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI in New York

Unless you have been stranded on a desert island for the last month or so, you are probably aware that Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States from April 15 – 20. His visit began in Washington DC and concluded by spending three days in New York City. There were millions of people who heard him speak, watched him on television, attended the various events he participated in, and crammed the streets hoping to get a glimpse of him as he drove past. Many of these people were not Catholics; many of them were not even Christian, yet almost everybody seemed interested in Pope Benedict XVI.

Since I am a religious and a seminarian, I had the privilege of seeing the Pope every day while he was here in New York. On Friday, April 18, all of us seminarians were able to attend his talk at the United Nations. On Saturday, April 19, we were able to attend the Mass he celebrated for priests and religious at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Then in the afternoon we were present when the Pope visited the seminary to speak with disabled children and to address 30,000 young people eagerly awaiting his presence in the backyard of the seminary. Finally, on Sunday, April 20, we were able to attend Mass at Yankee Stadium with 60,000 other people.

Many people have asked me about my experience of the Pope’s visit. I must admit, it is difficult to put into words. When Pope Benedict XVI was elected, and even while preparations for his visit were occurring, the media often portrayed him as intolerant, conservative, rigid, and out of touch with the modern world. Many newspapers and magazines before his visit spoke of the American Church as one that is dying due to lack of vocations, the sex abuse scandal, decline in Mass attendance, and dissent in many areas of Catholic teaching among the faithful, in particular on issues such as abortion and contraception. However, if Pope Benedict XVI’s visit proved anything, it proved this: that the media is out of touch with the modern world and that the Church in America, though wounded and hurting, is alive!

From a purely external view it is clear that Pope Benedict XVI is a peaceful, humble, shy, and prayerful man. It is true that he does not have the “personality” that Pope John Paul II had, but he doesn’t need it. He has his own gifts. Perhaps the greatest “insight” one can have of this Pope is by listening to him speak, not just to the sound of his words, but to what he says.

The Pope’s talks here in America did not appear to be coming from an intolerant, conservative and rigid man out of touch with this world. He spoke repeatedly of the love of God, about the hope, healing and forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ. He challenged Americans to not lose sight of their Christian foundations and reminded us that for a society to truly grow and prosper they must place God first and put Him at the center of their lives and their nation. He thanked god for the many blessings he has given our country, helping us to realize that all of our blessings come from God. He encouraged young people to not become slaves to things like drugs and sexual promiscuity and to not adopt a materialistic and superficial view of life that ends in misery and sadness. He spoke of his own struggles growing up underneath the Nazi regime and reminded us again and again of the hope we have in Jesus Christ and how His love truly sets us free and gives a meaning to our lives that is far greater than anything we could ever imagine.

Sure, many people came out that weekend just to see the Pope and be a part of history. How many people really listened to his words and took them seriously, only God knows. For most of us life has returned to normal, but hopefully through the Pope’s heroic witness of faith, his beautiful homilies and speeches, we will be transformed by the seeds of the Gospel that the Pope planted during his visit to us. Now we pray to God for both the rain and the sun that is necessary to allow these seeds to grow, so that like Pope Benedict XVI, we will become living testaments to the love and mercy that is found only in Jesus Christ.

Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Leopold Friary, Yonkers, NY