The Pope's Security and Humanity

Everyone is repeating the story of Sophie Cruz, 5, the little Los Angeles girl who slipped past the Pope's security, as small children often squeeze into places meant to be off limits. She wanted to give Pope Francis a letter and t-shirt during a parade in Washington yesterday, but she was stopped by security before Francis motioned for her to approach him. She was quickly lifted up to Francis, where the Pope did what he so often does : he gave her a hug and kiss. ~~~~~ Francis is known for wading into crowds, kissing and blessing children, and accepting gifts from well-wishing strangers - even when tossed at him from crowds. But in the United States, Francis is surrounded by security that includes Vatican security officers, Secret Service agents, uniformed federal agents and local police keeping most onlookers at a distance. For the first time, tickets are required for most of Francis' popemobile processions, and those lucky enough to get one through lotteries or their parishes still had to pass through metal detectors to get into position. In New York, security screening will be part of "layers and layers and layers of protection" for the Pope, including 6,000 extra police officers and counter-terrorism units, according to John Miller, the top NYPD security official. Police will also be "looking for...potential terrorist threats, not to the Pope, but to the crowd. And we have layers behind that," Miller said. Vatican spokesman, the Reverend Federico Lombardi, said that, despite tight security, Francis "intends to move around as he usually does" -- along parade routes or outside events in Washington, New York and Philadelphia. ~~~~~ Pope Francis, the object of these unwanted but necessary security measures, is, after all, a priest -- a special priest, since he is the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.2 billion faithful. What he wants is to be able to touch, bless and speak with them. Despite his speeches emphasizing global poverty, climate change, caring for migrants and providing a welcoming church that is pastoral rather than doctrinaire, when asked what he sees as the world's greatest problems, he answered : "the loneliness of the elderly and the lack of opportunity for the young." He spoke of America's devotion to liberty and freedom of religion, and noted that America’s vast resources demand a deep sense of moral responsibility. Later, the Pope spoke to his “brother” bishops at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, site of President Kennedy's 1963 funeral and of a mass offered by Pope Saint John-Paul in 1979. He spoke warmly, praising the bishops for their work with immigrants and for the first time praised their handling of the church’s sex-abuse scandals, telling them : "I am also conscious of the courage with which you have faced difficult moments in the recent history of the Church in this country without fear of self-criticism and at the cost of mortification and great sacrifice." He urged the bishops not to be silent toward the “innocent victims of abortion.” He mentioned children who die of hunger and bombings, immigrants who drown in the search for a better future, the elderly and sick, victims of terror, war and drug trafficking, and an environment “devastated by man’s predatory relationship with nature.” American bishops have not always agreed with Francis' spiritual messages, but they listened and will surely do their best. The Pope said : "Know that the Pope is by your side. The Pope supports you. He also puts his hand on yours, a hand wrinkled with age, but by God’s grace still able to support and encourage.” ~~~~~ Dear readers, we may disagree with Francis on issues - reflecting our political principles - but it is hard not to be drawn to this humble, loving man who has touched the world's heart. It would be better to ask what it says about the state of the world when Pope Francis, a man of peace, has trouble stepping out of his security bubble to reach people, when his gesture is seen as special. The evil that stalks us must not prevent us from being loving human beings.