Bishop Boyea addressed local media on Wednesday, March 13 following the election of Pope Francis. (video link follows)Following the resignation of Pope Benedict due to his age and concerns with his health, do you have any similar concerns with the age of Pope Francis?
Pope Francis doesn’t strike me as a professor type, even though he did teach in the seminary at one time. I think with Pope Benedict, his retirement had much to with his personality. I think he wearied of all this. It was just too much for him. According to what I’ve learned about Pope Francis – and I was Googling him just as all the rest of you were – he seems like he’s pretty energetic and he’s constantly doing things, although at 76, anything can happen to anyone, we know that.
What about his being from Argentina? There are so many Catholics in Central and South America – this is their first Pope.
And Latinos here in the United States. I think half the church in the United States is Latino or Latina. Yes, what a great choice, what great joy for the Church. They must be exultant right now.
Pope Francis has an image of being just a very common person, very humble. What do think this will do for the image of the Church?
I think that Pope Benedict was a pretty humble person, and I anticipate that Pope Francis will continue these kinds of practices. I was amazed to find that he lives in an apartment, probably cooks for himself, does all these things. I don’t think he’ll be doing that now. He’ll be living in the papal apartments now, and I’m sure he’ll have a cook finally.
With a Pope from South America, an area of a growing Catholic population, how do think this will play in Europe and North America, places where Church attendance is lessening?
I frankly think, again because he’s of Italian background, that the Italians are going to love this. He was quite fluent, speaking on the balcony, in Italian, without notes, so I think the Italians are going to love this. Since they’re getting an Italian back – although he’s not from Italy! I think obviously the Catholics of Spain and Portugal are going to be happy, because he’s Latino – he’s got that Hispano / Portugalo background, so I think that’s going to be a great blessing for them. This seems like a win-win situation for everybody. I’m just very, very pleased. I think the people are going to take great joy in this. We have to see now of course how he is as a preacher, as a teacher, and that’s something we’re all going to learn.
The thing that really impressed me today, was his asking the people to pray for him! To give him their blessing before he blessed them. Wow, what a powerful message, what a powerful symbol of that humility.
What do you think are the top three issues that you think he’s going to have to deal with right away?
Well, I do think that the top issue is the number of people leaving the Church. I think we need to talk about the New Evangelization that John Paul II spoke about, that Pope Benedict has continued to teach. I think this is the big issue that we’re going to have to deal with. And frankly, that probably encompasses everything else. I don’t know that there’s anything that’s not included in that kind of a topic. I think it is the New Evangelization that must continue, and be ramped up.
Do you think he is finally the person who can lay to rest the sex abuse scandal? That comes up over and over and over again.
The sex abuse scandal does come up, and frankly, it should. When people are hurt, we can’t forget that hurt, and we have to continue to take care of people and try to help them. I don’t envision anyone is ever going to put this to rest. It’s a sin on our past, it’s a sin, for some, in our present, and we’ve got to do penance for it. It doesn’t define who we are as church, but it is part of our past, part of our present, but it’s sinful, and we must atone for that. I don’t picture it ever going away.
Did this election seem different to you from papal elections in the past?
The speed of it amazed me, how fast this took place. It took place as rapidly as Pope Benedict’s. I was under the impression that they hadn’t settled on anyone, that there was no “frontrunner” as they call it, and that this would take quite a while. I was anticipating nothing until Friday. It really is a surprise how quickly they settled this. The thing that probably happened was that he was probably so well thought of in the 2005 conclave that the group of cardinals who had encouraged or supported him then were able to promote him now, and that probably helped.
How do think the election of Pope Francis pertains to the Diocese of Lansing?
Well, he’s my brother in the episcopacy, he’s the one that I look to for leadership, and we’ll pray for him every day at Mass. We’ll be praying for Pope Francis everyday instead of for Pope Benedict. So, he’s our Father in that sense, a father figure, and we’ll follow his lead.
You mentioned you were surprised at the choice. Can you talk a little more about that?
Well, I was surprised first of all at how quickly it happened. I was surprised because of his age. I’m surprised because he’s a Jesuit – no Jesuit has been elected Pope before. I guess those three things really amazed me. But, what a great joy! This is really amazing.
You know, he must know German, because he studied in Germany, of course he knows Italian, Spanish, he probably knows Portuguese being so close to Brazil, hopefully he knows English, I have no idea, but I presume he knows English as well. You’ve got to have somebody with a lot of languages, and who’s fluent in them. That’s certainly Pope Benedict, he was able to converse freely, with almost anybody on the face of this earth. It’s amazing, the ability that some people have.
Do you have any disappointment that Cardinal Dolan or Cardinal O’Malley didn’t kind of “make a showing” for North America?
I’m kind of relieved. I think having an American is a bit too complicated, politically. You know we are the world’s superpower, and I think to have an American in that position as the Holy Father of the Catholic Church – I think it’s better to have someone from the Third World. So, I think this is a tremendous gift from the Holy Spirit for us.
click here for video of the press conference (by clicking on this link, you will leave dioceseoflansing.org)