Of Presidents and Popes

“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said a Master-Sergeant at Andrews Air Force base, “to see two of the most powerful men in the world together.” The Pope and the President walked toward a waiting limousine as onlookers cheered.

I cheered too. Pope Benedict is the first foreign dignitary to be ‘picked up at the airport’ by Bush in the seven years of his presidency. I cheered because political authority briefly showed humility before spiritual authority.

I was with a devout Catholic man yesterday during my hospice rounds. I asked him what he thought of the new Pope. Randall said, “Well, he has to be tested first.” And then he added, “But he sure dresses well.” We certainly seem to be in a time of testing for world leaders, both political and religious. While our leaders continue to impress with the trappings of political and religious power, we long to see them pass the ongoing tests of integrity and vision which confront a divided human race.

I was glad to hear that President Bush will be discussing interfaith dialogue with the Pontiff. This issue may be much more important for the world’s future than the two men’s disagreement over the war in Iraq. And I was happy to hear the Pope addressing the sex abuse issue. Pope Benedict XVI heads a Church which claims over 1 billion adherents. President Bush heads the most powerful country on the planet, and is called ‘the leader of the free world.’ The President and other politicians have said that ‘radical Islamic terrorism’ is the greatest enemy to peace in the world. Some Muslim leaders have declared that Western arrogance and materialism (supported by Christianity, in their opinion) is the ‘great Satan’ which threatens world peace and a God-centered civilization.

Who is right? Who is wrong? Leaving aside such polarizing questions, perhaps we should ask instead, “Who’s willing to take a risk?” “Who is going to risk offending their own congregation or voters by stepping across religious and cultural lines to talk with ‘the enemy’? The Islamic Saladin and Christian Richard-the-Lion-Heart met centuries ago, risking the condemnation of their followers. They met, not only as hard-line representatives of warring religions, but as two human beings at a crossroads in history. Their risk-taking resulted in a long period of peace in Jerusalem.

It has been said that this Pope’s predecessor and Ronald Reagan collaborated together to help bring down the Berlin Wall. If current religious and political leaders can humble themselves through collaboration versus condemnation, perhaps they can begin the process of breaking down the very dangerous walls of mistrust between believers of different faiths. These walls are not made of stones like the Berlin Wall. They are much more calcified walls—walls of dark history and retribution, terrorism and crusading, betrayal and abuse. They will not fall as swiftly as walls made of stone.

Popes and presidents, rabbis and imams, gurus and pastors. May they each risk taking a brick from the dangerous walls which divide us, and thus honor the God who has given inspiration to prophets, saints and founders of a multitude of faiths and civilizations.