I joined millions of others in watching the biggest news story of
the year so far unfold: the announcement of Francis I as the new pope.
There was plenty of spectacle: impressive displays by the Swiss Guard,
marching bands, excited throngs singing in the pope’s honor, and
seemingly baffled news anchors barely keeping up with the action.
In all of the ritual and ceremonial dogma, one specific custom
caught my eye. After the presentation of Pope Francis I as the new
Bishop of Rome, each of the electing cardinals stepped up to the pope
and, in turn, vowed to obey him. A vow of obedience is an enormous
responsibility to commit yourself to. It means that you, in essence, are
living for that person from that time on and acknowledging that their
will is the most important thing in your life.
I had one question in mind after watching it all. Where is God in
all of this? The focus on the celebration was clearly on a man—the
pope—and the ones who selected him. The cardinals referred to Francis I
as their “Holy Father.” Jesus specifically said that titles like that
are reserved exclusively for God the Father (Matthew 23:9
).
).
So is unquestioning obedience. Why was it a big deal for the
cardinals to vow obedience to Pope Francis? Because, as leader of the
Catholic Church, the pope takes responsibility for and acts as an
official representative of the beliefs of his church. And frankly, some
of those beliefs just aren’t biblical, like Sunday worship and Mary reverence.
The apostles faced religious leaders who demanded obedience to
themselves instead of God. They had the right perspective. The apostles
responded to them, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29,
New Living Translation). The cardinals made their choice, and they
decided they would obey a man. You have the same exact choice to make
right now. Will you obey a man? Or will you obey the God who created the
universe, the true Holy Father of all?
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