Garry’s Musings 27 May 2025
Pope Francis has died. I admired his teachings and how he lived how he said he should. It was fascinating to witness the world grappling with his messages as he shared his dying with us all.
Here’s but a few of his messages which summarise him beautifully:
- A few years ago, three French peace activists met Pope Francis and asked him for advice. “Start a revolution!” he said. “Shake things up! The world is deaf. You have to open its ears.” Francis started a nonviolent revolution and invited us all of us to join.
- He said there was no room for “careerists or social climbers” among the clergy, told cardinals they should not live “like princes,” and said the Church should not “dissect theology” in lush salons while there were poor people around the corner.
- “If investments in banks fall, it is a tragedy and people say, ‘what are we going to do?’ but if people die of hunger, have nothing to eat or suffer from poor health, that’s nothing. This is our crisis today. A Church that is poor and for the poor has to fight this mentality,” he said early in his papacy.
- Francis regularly railed against clericalism because of its sense of entitlement and misuse of power. He saw it as one of the reasons why the church became obsessed with protecting its image instead of believing and caring for the victims of clerical sex abuse. He also realised the clerical instinct to protect their own and conceal their crimes was underpinned by their exclusive hold on the workings of the church.
- He became determined to recalibrate the relationship between clerics and ordinary Catholics for there to be more mutuality and collaboration in church governance and decision-making. This did not win him friends within the church bureaucracy.
- He used his last speech to rail against those who stir up “contempt … towards the vulnerable, the marginalised and migrants”.
This was a man who lived, behaved, and spoke as he believed he should. He travelled to places like Auschwitz-Birkenau and said “sorry”
He opened doors and welcomed people of other faiths, and none. He was troubled about how far the Catholic Church had strayed away from where he thought it should be and, in standing against the conservative power mongers within the Church, he was often on his own.
However, he held up a mirror to the world, whether the world wanted him to or not.
So, let’s apply the “Francis test” and hold a mirror up to our city and see how we stand up to his standards.
Let us consider the currently under construction stadium, Te Kaha.
The ratepayers of Christchurch will have to pay for much of this stadium and all its long-term operating costs. The site and early funding were decided by Central Government. Attending events will probably be beyond the budgets of many low-income ratepayers in areas like Woolston, Linwood, Brighton, Sydenham, or Shirley. They certainly will not be invited to the box, which was tendered out for $260,000 pa, a tender which was over-subscribed.
Not only is the stadium beyond the budgets of low-income households but, so the All Blacks and sports teams don’t get wet as they play their games, there is a roof to keep them all dry.
Compare these photos – one of Te Kaha and one of homeless people asleep on the streets of our city. Applying the “Francis-test” does this reflect the values of our city and our civic leaders?
I guess the answer is covered by the fact that the mayor has announced that the Council is considering selling land. The very land which could be used towards providing a roof over the heads of the poor the same as us supplying one to keep the All Blacks dry as they play.
This city has always been known for our strong sense of social justice. We can do better than what’s happening right now and need not copy a government which appears to be quite heartless towards the poorest in our society.
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