Three Hummock Island

The sons of Zebedee expected Jesus to lead a Messianic revolt to throw off the yoke of imperial Rome. But they wanted to be part of a similar sort of power structure. They had not grasped that Jesus had come to turn that sort of society upside down.

However, over the centuries, the Church took on much of the trappings of power of imperial Rome. The popes governed much of Italy. Giuseppe Garibaldi was one of those generals who defeated the forces defending the Papal States, and in doing so actually liberated the papacy from its role as feudal overlord of much of Italy.

In the course of the campaign, when despondent, Garibaldi often reflected on the delightful time he spent on Three Hummock Island just off the coast of Tasmania. So we may say that the liberation of the papacy, enabling it to respond more clearly to today’s Gospel, began in Tasmania!

Pope Francis embodies the spirit of today’s Gospel. He rails against a Church exhibiting ‘the leprosy of a feudal court’. Rather, he has said: ‘I see the Church as a field hospital after battle. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds.’ And in his actions he has shown himself as a true ‘Servant of the servants of God’ as Jesus commands in today’s Gospel.

We may pause for a moment to pray for Pope Francis that he may have the strength and time to persevere in his responding to today’s Gospel so that the papacy may be truly liberated so as to practise a radically different way of exercising leadership in the Church and for the world.

© Fr Michael Tate; mtate@bigpond.com