Dream

Pope Francis the Dreamer is the title of an article in the January issue of America.  According to the authors, “Pope Francis wants Catholics to dare to dream of better politics.”  He is optimistic.  

The authors end their article with this conclusion: “Pope Francis asks the church to disentangle itself from the world’s moribund realisms, which only serve to excuse our indifference to the weakest and poorest around us.  His politics are neither liberal nor conservative, but a vision of fraternity grounded in utopian hope.  We can remain frightened, grasping at the security of a sentimentalized past.  We can remain captive to the market logic of the present, unable to imagine an alternative to its endless violence.  Or we can devote ourselves to the task of audacious dreaming of a radically different future, waiting the most unexpected solidarities to come.”

Dreaming is the Pope’s theme in his 2020 book “Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future.”  In his Prologue with an emphasis on the pandemic, he said, “I see an overflow of mercy spilling out in our midst.  Hearts have been tested.  The crisis has called forth in some a new courage and compassion.  Some have been sifted and have responded with the desire to reimagine our world; others have come to the aid of those in need in concrete ways that can transform our neighbor’s suffering.  That fills me with hope that we might come out of this crisis better.  But we have to see clearly, choose well, and act right.  Let’s talk about how.  Let’s allow God’s words to Isaiah to speak to us: Come, let us talk this over. Let us dare to dream.”  

He also said, “Look at us now: we put on face masks to protect ourselves and others from a virus we can’t see.  But what about all those other unseen viruses we need to protect ourselves from? How will we deal with the hidden pandemics of this world, the pandemics of hunger and violence and climate change?”

Pope Francis concludes with: “…Democracy is then reinvigorated by the concerns and wisdom of people who are involved in it.  Politics can once again be an expression of love through service.  By making the restoration of our people’s dignity the central objective of the post-Covid world, we make everyone’s dignity the key to our actions. To guarantee a world where dignity is valued and respected through concrete actions is not just a dream but a path to a better future.” 

We will have a better future provided we fight all unseen viruses such as racism and demagoguery.  This year we must dream and dare to dream big.  Let us toast to that!

Deacon David Pierce