Pope Francis on the Move
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“By being receptive, we can avail ourselves of the spiritual wealth available to us. By being open, we can receive things beyond what we ourselves might imagine.”
─ Deng Ming Dao in Everyday Tao
In our review of the film In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis, one of the Most Spiritually Literate Films of 2023, we noted that in the first nine years of his pontificate, Pope Francis made 37 trips to 53 countries. The film shows him making speeches to large gatherings and meeting individuals in their homes. In one extended sequence he greets men in a prison in Mexico who have lined up to greet him; each prisoner is given a smile, a word or two, and a blessing. This is what we call the spiritual practice of openness!
Now Pope Francis is on the move again. This month he went with an open heart and mind to the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy (June 13-15, 2024). Gerard O’Connell reported in America Magazine on the significance of this historic visit, the first time a pope has been invited to participate in this high-level intergovernmental forum which brings together Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other interests were also present.
As we have come to expect from this pope, he greeted each of the world leaders with smiles and brief remarks. He then demonstrated another aspect of his spirituality in a talk about Artificial Intelligence which he described as an “exciting and fearsome tool” and emphasized that human beings need “safeguard a space for proper human control over the choices made by artificial intelligence programs: human dignity itself depends on it.” His talk was not a condemnation of AI but a recognition that it is part of our future, noting we can look forward with hope and confidence.
During one-on-one meetings with world leaders, the Pope talked about the need for peace in Ukraine and Gaza. Earlier in the day he met with 200 comedians from 14 countries to talk about the importance of their profession in our world today.
Openness is one quality that characterizes Pope Francis. As his wide-ranging conversations at the G7 and other encounters demonstrate, he also excels in the spiritual practice of hospitality. We are reminded of a definition of hospitality by Thea Jarvis in Everyday Hospitality:
“Hospitality is the social staff of life, a starting poit for discourse and interaction. Even when we’re not conscious of its presence, hospitality stands by like a gracious host, discreetly ensuring friendly exchanges and peaceful outcomes.”