“Talk about Global Solidarity!  It made God, our Father, smile today in Rome.”

After several days of cold rain, the bright blue sky and Roman sun opened up upon us 50,000-75,000 Catholics in St. Peter’s Square this Wednesday morning. All kinds people joined together from around the earth to celebrate our global church and say farewell to pope Benedict.  It was his last general audience where he thanked all the world for their prayers and for the next pope. (And what a blessing that I was in Rome for mission meetings at this time with 25 other Mission Office directors from the U.S.)

Now, did all those who gathered in the square agree with everything the pope has said and done the past 8 years?   Were all who gathered proud of all the sins of the church and all of their individual sinfulness?  Probably not.

However….. to see so many vibrant & colorful flags, hats, banners, people young and old, …was pretty spectacular and moving. In a sense were all “hugged” by the colonnades surrounding the Vatican square and poured out about a 1/2 mile down the avenue toward the Tiber River.  We could all sincerely proclaim the ”Our Father” in one, collective voice. It was kinda awesome.   We could put aside our cultural, theological, social, and economic problems and differences… and we were a united, even for a moment, as the real Body of Christ.  I suspect God, our Father, had a warm smile of relief and joy today.

I often speak and promote global solidarity in my ministry to promote parish twinning, lay missionary work, and fundraising for our 1000 mission dioceses. But I rarely get a concrete vision of it.  Yet today I was deeply blessed to see the amazing power of the Holy Spirit that pulled us all together.  To actually see that amazing site of such a huge diverse community in front, back and all around me today was really taste of heaven: God’s children united in love = Global Solidarity.

A British TV crew and reporter came up to me after the pope blessed us and asked,  “Do you really believe the next pope can ever deal with or manage the mess that he will inherit?”  All I could say was, “I’m not sure he can by himself, but I’m sure the Holy Spirit will guide us all.”

I invite you to pray that the Spirit will bless us and our church leaders as they chose the next pope.  And consider working with the Spirit yourself to build Global Solidarity!  Contact us about possible missionary work, immersion trips, parish twinning and supporting our mission dioceses.

That’s all for now….I’ll let my photos speak for themselves.

U.S. Mission Office Directors at Pope’s Last General Audience

The Pope Flying Away Into The Sunset

Yes, being Catholic can be “magnifico”

Bona sera…good evening from the Vatican, Feb. 25, 2013

I am incredibly blessed to be a Catholic and to be in Rome at this time!  This a pretty impressive place anytime!  When you turn off the airport highway, see that huge dome and realize this is really St. Peter’s basilica, you want to say “magnifico! ” When you walk through the Vatican plaza and realize many Christians gave their lives during the early years of persecution, you want to say, ”magnifico!”  When you walk into the enormous basilica,  see the tomb of St. Peter and realize that thousands of church leaders met here for Vatican II, changing history, you want to say…”magnifico!”   When it’s your turn to see Michaelagelo’s ”Pietà,” your want to drop to your knees and say “Thank you merciful Lord for showing us how to serve God and each other…this is what it’s all about!”

Pietà

Vatican plaza

And to be in Rome at this time of wonderment and yes, excitement, of the election of a new pope for a billion Catholics, really adds to the  grandeur of being a Catholic, even with all the disappointments, tragedies and other human failings through history.  And in spite of that, the world is showing up to take our picture.  To see the huge scaffolding and stands being built for cameras, to see the army of TV trucks pointing dishes at all angles of the sky, press people doing interviews in dozens of languages from around the world,  large crowds of excited youth snapping photos of history….that’s pretty magnifico.

What makes if even more magnifico for me personally, is being in Rome this week of meetings with fellow mission office directors from a several dozen U.S. dioceses.  We’re here  to learn more about how the donations from our U.S. Catholics are helping 1,150  mission dioceses mostly in Africa and Asia through the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS).  East African Bishop Postase Rwambwa, International President of PMS, spoke with warmth, joy and gratitude to us tonight saying,  “Your prayers and donations are permitting us to build our own seminaries, churches, schools and clinics. God’s work is being done. Thank you! So many governments and programs cannot work with the love like our fellow Catholics can do by serving the Body of Christ.”

Yes, we have many problems to address in our church.  However, when you hear thousands of Catholics coming together from around the globe in the Vatican Square to pray the Angelus with  the pope and for the next one, you want to say, “Thanks Lord for showing us your immense love.  Thanks for the grace to help us spread it globally.”  Now that’s a God who is pretty ”magnifico.”

Arrivederci for now from the Vatican,

Mike Gable

Dr. Mike Gable is the Director of the Mission Office for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and enjoys encouraging others to "taste" the many "flavors" of God through various cultures.