Close guarding by the Holy Spirit

I am a great believer of miracles. And I think the whole world has just seen one in the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina. Prior to the emergence of white smoke to announce his coming, a seagull was seen perched for hours on the Sistine Chapel smokestack.

I believe that bird was the Holy Spirit come to guard the outcome of one of the most critical choices a group of men can ever make in their lifetime — electing the leader of more than a billion Catholics.

It is hard to explain why the bird chose to remain perched on the smokestack just as the eyes of the whole world were riveted on it for what tidings the color of smoke may bring. Even the anchors of major international television channels cannot explain the bird’s presence.

But then who says miracles need an explanation. In fact, that is precisely why they are called miracles because no explanations are necessary. Things happen because they happen in accordance with God’s plan. The Holy Spirit only made sure they do.

I say the Holy Spirit because this is the one that guides the actions of men. It is the Holy Spirit that drives men to make the decisions that they do. So when the 115 cardinals voted for Cardinal Bergoglio after a series of black smokes, it can only be the will of God.

Bergoglio, who has taken the name Pope Francis, is the most appropriate person to ascend to the papacy at a time when things are getting rough for the Roman Catholic Church. Another cardinal of lesser stuff would have failed.

Prior to the emergence of a “winner,” our very own Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle kept getting mentioned even in the international media as among the dark horses in the race. This was lapped up by Filipinos who only looked at the possibilities without regard for realities.

Nobody would have been prouder than us Filipinos to have one of our own ascend the throne of Peter. But it is one thing to feel affinity, another to face reality. And it is this that probably turned the tide against Tagle.

On being appointed cardinal only last October, Tagle shed an inordinate amount of tears.

Had he made pope, I have reason to believe his tears will come as a deluge. I have nothing against crying. But I do not believe anyone can cry away the Church’s problems.

Pope Francis   shed not a single tear as he emerged on the balcony to greet the Catholic throngs gathered for hours to await his emergence. On the contrary, he cracked a joke about his being from a land far away from the Vatican.

I believe the new pope was trying to assert his authority right away, that he was exhibiting the kind of strength and confidence necessary to overcome the great challenges that await his papacy.

It would have been disastrous if he broke down in tears even if shed in elation, the way Tagle would have broken down. The Church needs someone strong, someone who has neither the time nor the tendency to cry.

The problems of the Church are great and many. It is being rocked by sex abuse scandals, inappropriate financial dealings, internal divisions, challenges posed by homosexuality and gay marriage, abortion, celibacy, and ordination of women, among others.

These problems are not crying matters and the cardinal electors knew this. That is why they eventually repaired to the tried and tested formulas of conservatism and back-to-basics as aptly represented by Francis.

There was also the unmistakable humility in Francis when, prior to blessing the throng, he asked them to bless him first with their prayers. And his prayers were the simple Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be — prayers now often overshadowed by new and frequently changing ones.

Our Tagle could have made it, judging by the frequency with which his name was mentioned. But I cannot imagine his papacy in relation to the problems enumerated above. I believe this was why the Holy Spirit needed to intervene, and so sent a bird to perch on the smokestack for hours.