Pope FrancisÔÇÖ recently concluded tours of Cuba and the United States have been hailed as triumphs. Hundreds of millions, from staunch Roman Catholics to skeptical outsiders, followed his every move and listened to his message.
Given FrancisÔÇÖ loving charisma and gentle demeanor, it is easy for many to view this pope as they might see any kindly, secular philosophical figure. This is how the media often portrays him ÔÇö as an unthreatening man who is cheerfully sanding down the sharp edges of his church. But herein lies FrancisÔÇÖ true subversive genius: What looks to some like a smiley-face sticker is actually an invitation to total conversion.
The central theme of FrancisÔÇÖ visit was a call for unity. He has frequently urged us ÔÇ£to dialogue together, to shorten the distance between us, to strengthen our bonds of brotherhood.ÔÇØ With respect to the church, Francis has exhorted priests to be ÔÇ£shepherds living with the smell of the sheepÔÇØ and to avoid setting themselves apart from the laity.
But the unity the pope has in mind goes far deeper. The unity that he is challenging us to embrace has no limits, natural or supernatural.
In Cuba, Francis touched on this theme while gently exposing a central error of Communism ÔÇö the conflation of unity with shallow sameness. ÔÇ£Unity is often confused with uniformity; with actions, feelings and words which are all identical,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£This is not unity, it is conformity.ÔÇØ
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