Have you seen Pope Francis in Motion from CNS? Funky southern music behind shots of him speaking to the cardinals and then greeting them in the Clementine Hall. The pope’s face is radiant with a joyful smile – he looks so happy. We can only guess what is being said, though.
Note that Francis bends over to kiss a cardinal’s ring before the cardinal kisses his!
Several times he’s gesturing in what looks like “Write it down.”Do you suppose the cardinals are telling him the howlers and mistranslations in new liturgical translations, and he’s asking them to note them and send them in? Are they having a good laugh at the most “abstruse and pretentious” phrases??
Cardinal Napiers of South African gives the pope a yellow rubber wristband they’re wearing back home for the “Year of Faith.” Francis immediately puts it on. He’s been wearing it ever since.
What’s he gesturing to Cardinal Tagle, the young guy from the Philippines? Kind of looks like “We’ll sweep all that away! It’ll be fun!”
Cardinal Dolan boisterously puts his hand on the pope’s shoulder. That used to be a No-No – you don’t ever touch a monarch until he or she extends a hand to you. Under this guy, obviously, it’s Not An Issue.
And then, after Dolan, is Cardinal Pell, the big guy from Australia. He’s head of Vox Clara, the Roman commission that botched the new English Missal. What’s with the pope’s swaying gesture? Is he saying, “Well, the pendelum swings like this and this, and now it’s swinging back”?? Pell doesn’t seem to be smiling like all the others.
It will be most interesting to see if and when Pope Francis sets in motion any reforms on collegiality, liturgy, missal translation, and so many other issues.
* * * * *
When Pope Francis isn’t in motion, he’s seated. Like this. (He’s the one on the right.)
Please leave a reply.