Some criticize Francis’ homily to Benedict XVI

VATICAN CITY – The singularity of the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, presided over by his successor, the Pope francescojust a heightened curiosity about the course Francis would take to honor Benedict.

Would you give your predecessor the simple goodbye that he had asked, without offending the conservative wing of the Church, who wanted so much more for his deceased bishop?

Francis has opted for a homily that reflects his own vision of the Catholic Church, but not everyone was satisfied with his approach.

Michael Hesemann, Benedict’s biographer and friend, described it as “somewhat standard”, and a Pennsylvania theologian and writer described it as “a kind of slap in the face.”

“I could have delivered the same homily for anyoneany cardinal, any bishop or even the butcher next door,” Hesemann said.

For some American Catholics, the brevity and impersonality of the homily was seen as a snob of a Pope who has tried to undo many of Benedict XVI’s priorities.

Benedict was a lodestar for conservative Catholics in America, who saw him as a figurehead for a kind of commitment and doctrinal rigor they saw lacking in the Church under Francis.

Francis paid tribute to Benedict for having lived the Gospel “all his life” by repeatedly quoting his predecessor’s words.

Francis reflected the theologian’s fundamental belief in putting Jesus in the center of life by meditating on how Jesus placed himself in the hands of God.

Above all, Francis’ neighbors said, the homily focused on the centrality of the bishop, and of the Pope, as pastor – something that Francis himself appreciates – above all ancient church ritualsthe so-called smells and bells, adored by traditionalists.

“The faithful people of God, gathered here, now accompanies you and entrusts to you the life of the one who was their shepherd”, Francis said of Benedict’s last passage.

“The Holy Father delivered a beautiful homily reflecting on the mission of a pastor, in the closest imitation of Christ,” said Cardinal Michael Czerny of Canada, a close adviser to Francis.

He added that the pope concluded “this beautiful spiritual portrait” of a devoted pastor by applying it “wholeheartedly to his predecessor.”

“So please don’t be disappointed by the lack of praise or praise,” Czerny said.

“This is for another time and place, not a Eucharist of a Christian burial.”

“It felt like a bit of a slap to Benedict,” said Larry Chapp, a theologian and writer who owns a small farm in Pennsylvania, describes himself as a “relatively conservative Catholic” and moves in a circle where Benedict is revered as a great hero of faith

Chapp, who arrived in Rome on Monday, attended the funeral with crowds in St. Peter’s Square, which he described as quiet and gloomy.

On reflection, he softened his opinion, noting that Francis is not known as a “loud orator“in no context.

However, he was disappointed by the lack of personal insight from a pope who spoke warmly of his predecessor in other contexts.

“I’ve heard better funeral homilies in parishes for regular people,” he said.

“In my opinion, it was almost as if Pope Francis had gone to his archives and had searched the file for ‘funeral homily'”.

Others were tougher.

In a blog post for The American ConservativeEastern Orthodox writer and former Catholic Rod Dreher called the homily “an act of disrespect that can only be explained as a failed exercise in contempt.”

“He could have delivered this homily for his butler,” Dreher wrote.

To many, Francis’ approach seemed insignificant compared to Benedict’s homily at the funeral of Pope John Paul II:

an eloquent, blaring ode to the life and legacy of a remarkable figure who led the Church for more than a quarter century.

And beyond the homily, the service itself was shorter and simpler than a typical papal funeral, though its relative simplicity reflected thes wishes from Benedict.

Michael Heinlein, a writer working on a biography of Cardinal Francis E. George, said:

“There was a certain feeling that Mass was rushed; that she was naked.”

He followed the funeral live from his home in Indiana, where services began at 3:30 in the morning.

Heinlein, who also found the homily disappointing at the time, said he would return to it to read and think more about it later.

“When I read the text, I’m sure I’ll see new things in it,” he said.

Hesemann, the biographer, said: “Benedict would have deserved the same funeral status as John Paul II; it saddens me a little that there were gaps in the ceremony itself.”

Entering the Vatican after the service, he added that while Benedict “would have been the first to say I just want a simple funeral,” he deserved more.

But he admitted that the former pope would not have felt offended:

“He was the most forgiving person.”

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