The Vicar of Christ

You've probably seen the news coverage of the pope's visit to America. How could you miss it? I have not really paid much attention to it, but I happened to be watching TV when they broadcast the papal mass at St. Patrick's cathedral in New York. I watched a few minutes of the proceedings here and there and then turned away. Quite a while later I turned back to the Fox News Channel and the pope had finished and he was walking down the aisle, leaving the cathedral. I was interested to see, alongside the pope and other members of the Catholic clergy dressed in their official costumes, a number of security guards, wearing dark suits, walking up the aisle with the pope and his entourage. I knew these had to be security guards because they had the tell-tale wires running out from under their shirt collars into ear pieces they were wearing for communication. Now the thing that really caught my attention was that the pope was waving to the crowd as he passed down the aisle and most people were waving back and taking pictures. But there were a few people who were especially zealous in wanting to greet the pope and they reached out to touch him. As soon as someone tried to reach out to the pope, one of the security guards would position himself between that person and the pope and push his hands away from the pope.

So I started thinking. One of the official titles the pope wears is "the Vicar of Christ." It basically means that the pope is Christ's representative--he operates in the place of Christ. If the pope is supposed to operate in Christ's place, shouldn't he try to act like Christ? Jesus often had to deal with crowds of people who wanted to see Him, to talk to Him, and to touch Him. What if the apostles acted like the pope's security guards and pushed people away from Jesus? Well, there was at least one time when they did. Mark 10:13-16 says,

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

From the ornate costumes, to the elaborate security, the pope bears little resemblance to Jesus. There's a very simple reason for this: the Roman Catholic Church is the product of human ideas and doctrines. When human beings do things their own way instead of God's way, they make choices that bring glory and honor to them, not God.