Whether he heads back to New York or makes a choice between the Papal Palace or Santa Marta, follow the man to Jesus Christ, the source of all love and ...
No Christian is exempt from the duty of witnessing to Jesus and offering His invitation to others in his own day-to-day life.
That was Cardinal-designate Timothy Michael Dolan in February 2012, the night before he would become a member of the College of Cardinals.
He talked about the mission work of evangelization — sharing the joy of the Gospel, as Pope Francis would later put it. But these were the days of B16. “The one who has hope lives differently,” Benedict told us in his encyclical on hope. When he came to the United States, the Archdiocese of Washington made sure that quote was on city buses and the Metro.)
Dolan cited John Paul II’s “new evangelization” formulation — making clear that it is not just the people who have not heard about Jesus who need to truly encounter Jesus, but the baptized, too.
What is this interregnum time in the world — between the death of Pope Francis and the election of a new pontiff — but a somewhat miraculous opportunity for Catholics and non-believers — all — to feel a connection to the eternal? How many raised-Catholic seem to be coming from every hour of cable news and all corners of social media? Why is there a sudden preponderance of websites with live views of the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel? Because, as they say, we all have a God-shaped hole in our hearts. And right now is a rare opportunity to invite seekers — people who have never heard Gospel Truth, seen it, or were, perhaps, too hurt by people in the church to be willing to have the pain potentially exacerbated by more Christians behaving badly.
“The New Evangelization,” Dolan said, “became the dare to apply the invitation of Jesus to conversion of heart not only ad extra, but ad intro, to believers and cultures where the salt of the gospel had lost its tang. Thus, the mission is not only to New Guinea but to New York.”
And in New York, you have seen him excel at this work. There is no mainstream media evangelization like Dolan walking Al Roker and The Today Show through St. Peter’s Basilica after-hours. When Pope Francis came to the United States, a vespers service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue was not just a Catholic event for consecrated persons (the designated audience), but a community celebration. Matt Lauer was part of the warmup act. Only God knows what such an encounter has meant after a public fall from grace as part of the #MeToo scandals.
And then there is the fact that most of Fox News seems to think Dolan is the obvious next pope. Not necessarily because they are looking forward to papal tours on their family vacations, but because he has been a priest to many of them — an encounter with Christ, a sounding board for ideas, and answer-er of questions, a source of invitation, perhaps, back home to where they were baptized.
And then, as hosts have put it, the man does seem to have joy. And how that attracts! Especially at a time when so many of us are tempted/compelled to go through life anesthetized to dull the pain of the struggles, as Pope Francis put it when he preached at Mass on the grounds of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
You can’t go unless you first come, Dolan said. He seemed to be anticipating the longing he would later see so many have for the Eucharist, when churches closed during Covid. (He pushed the government to restore religious freedom in a lawsuit before the end of 2020. That, holding the U.S. Catholic bishops together against the Barack Obama administration’s mandate that forced even The Little Sisters of the Poor to the Supreme Court, among other things are why the Becket Fund is honoring him with their prestigious Canterbury Medal later this month. In New York, if he is not pope in Rome.) Dolan cited the late TV evangelist Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who said:
Our Lord’s first word to His disciples was “come!” His last word was “go!” You can’t “go” unless you first “come” to Him.
Dolan went on to quote from B16:
Secularization, which presents itself in cultures by imposing a world and humanity without reference to Transcendence, is invading every aspect of daily life and developing a mentality in which God is effectively absent, wholly or partially, from human life and awareness. This secularization is not only an external threat to believers, but has been manifest for some time in the heart of the Church herself. It profoundly distorts the Christian faith from within and, consequently, the lifestyle and daily behavior of believers. They live in the world and are often marked, if not conditioned, by the cultural imagery that impresses contradictory and impelling models regarding the practical denial of God: There is no longer any need for God, to think of him or to return to him. Furthermore, the prevalent hedonistic and consumeristic mindset fosters in the faithful and in pastors a tendency to superficiality and selfishness that is harmful to ecclesial life.
Dolan went on to outline seven points for being creative and authentic in communicating in these troubled, compromised times. Keeping yourself rooted in Jesus Christ, with joy, and love for and even bragging about the martyrs of our time willing to give their lives for God (who, of course, gave them life).
And while doing so he told a favorite story, about a man dying of AIDS in a Missionaries of Charity hospice in D.C. The man wanted to be baptized. When he was asked why by a priest, who needed some expression of faith from him — of his free will — the man whispered:
“All I know is that I’m unhappy, and these sisters are very happy, even when I curse them and spit on them. Yesterday I finally asked them why they were so happy. They replied, ‘Jesus.’ I want this Jesus so I can finally be happy.”
The odds of an American becoming pope are probably slim. The odds of Dolan, perhaps even more so. Despite being a Church historian, it’s his folksy Midwest demeanor that he is known for. Would you like a dirty hot dog with your papally blessed Rosary? might be the vibe. Smart, accessible, and a good reader of people, he’s more likely to play an influential role elsewhere.
I may be proven wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time. Peggy Noonan mentions in her beautiful book on John Paul the Great about AOL instant messaging (doesn’t that bring back memories?) with a friend during his funeral Mass. She commented to her friend that we were listening to the next pope, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger delivered the homily. No way, no how, too good to be true, her friend — me —insisted. So there you go. Prepare for Pope Timothy. (I’ve had more than a few interactions — and collaborations — with him over the years. And, full disclose: Among other things, I’m chair of Cardinal Dolan’s Pro-Life Commission in New York. I never thought to ask him what his pope name would be. Not that he would have told me.)
Since getting to Rome, he has been posting behind-the-scenes videos with reflections. Truth be told, he’s not as addicted to the screens as most of us are, so he might just relish having to relinquish his phone for the conclave sequester. But the last we saw of him in the wild was a dramatic post from the Archdiocese of New York with Dolan walking in his red toward St. Peter’s for possibly the most important days of his life.
Pope Tim or not, in him, there’s something of the revolution of tenderness Pope Francis talked about, along with the joy of the Gospel and a back-to-basics bread-and-butter desire to feed the sheep, whether they know they are in the shepherd’s care or not.
Whether he heads back to New York or makes a choice between the Papal Palace or the guesthouse Francis made his home, follow the man to Jesus Christ, the source of all love and mercy. That’s been the message of the last three popes, the much-debated Second Vatican Council, and at the heart of the Church. If we learn nothing else from chimney watching during this papal transition time, let it be this.