Anybody that knows me knows that I'm not religious and definitely not a fan of the Catholic Church.
But.
I am a big fan of humility. Of service. Of kindness. Of care.
And Pope Francis did express those traits.
When his transport came through, people stood on the road and carried babies up to him. Whom he reached out and touched with a blessing. Whether or not it's real or means anything to me, doesn't matter. It meant something to those parents.
He embodied the principles of Christianity in the sense of kindness, love, acceptance, graciousness, humility and service. As a young social worker, I was taught that if "the church" truly did its job we wouldn't need social services in our world. I guess in a perfect world, that would be true.
He broke with tradition by washing the feet of both women and immigrants. Foot washing, a practice rooted in Biblical teaching and seen across Christian denominations, is the ultimate sign of humility and service by Christians. Imagine, as a believer, what it would mean to have The Pope wash and kiss your feet. Imagine the blessing you would carry for a lifetime.
Did Pope Francis and the Catholic Church still have a lot to learn and fix? Of course, they do. Turning a blind eye to centuries of wretched abuse, lack of acceptance for individuals, lack of respect for women in the church......there's almost too much to mention. But right now, we're thinking about a man. One man. One man who chose a path and followed it. And followed it honorably.
And to me, a non-practicing, non-believing, brought up in a Protestant denomination woman, that is worth honoring and respecting. The devout standing in line for hours to pass by his body lying in state? I get it. Let them mourn the man who may have been the best representation their faith can lay claim to. Let them believe in something that gives them hope, gives them peace, gives them a community. Let them keep their faith, their practices, their traditions.
Let them mourn.
Let them.
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