On Religion: Pizzaballa Between East, West And The Future Of The Papacy
(ANALYSIS) In the spring of 2023, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem addressed a conference about a dizzyingly complex subject — Christianity in the ancient Middle East, as well as the future of its many churches and traditions.
This included Catholic interactions with Judaism and Islam, as well as trends in a region shaped by “extreme secularism and religious fundamentalism,” noted Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Also, he stressed that Catholic leaders must grasp that the faith of many believers “no longer has deep roots,” even in ancient churches.
“Their Christianity … is often a Christianity of identity, of tradition,” said Pizzaballa, who has served for decades in the Holy Land. “We can no longer be satisfied with the Sunday presence of our faithful. It no longer has the strength to counter the tsunami of globalized secularism, which enters, through the Internet or other forms, even in the Bedouin tents or in the most remote villages.”
In some ways, the faith “identity” found in the fragile Middle East is stronger than in many Western cultures, he said. But it's no longer acceptable to say, “Well at least it's not like Europe!” and move on.
Later that year, Pope Francis elevated Pizzaballa into the College of Cardinals — the first cardinal residing in the modern State of Israel.
When the Latin Patriarch heard the Easter Monday news about the death of Pope Francis, he packed his bags. As he departed to Rome, his coworkers sang, in Arabic: “May the Lord guide your steps with His wisdom, fill your heart with His spirit, and be with you if it's His prayer that you should lead His church.”
Since then, the cardinal's name has been included in almost every list == in secular and Catholic media — of “papabile,” or “pope able” candidates to fill the Chair of Saint Peter.
Thus, journalists and church insiders have dissected sermons and addresses by Pizzaballa and other popular “papabile,” searching for clues about their stands on doctrine, worship and pastoral issues in the wake of the tumultuous Francis papacy. It doesn't hurt that the 60-year-old cardinal — that's young for a papabile — has a colorful name, which can be translated as “Peter the baptizer” plus “pizza dancer,” as well as family ties to an Italian soccer star.
Being stationed in Jerusalem may be a plus, noted veteran Crux editor John L. Allen Jr., who wrote: “Precisely because his life has been dominated by the complexities of the Middle East and the Israel-Palestinian divide, he's never really been forced to take clear public positions on divisive doctrinal and pastoral issues. Where he might stand on, say, the blessing of people in same-sex unions or the ordination of women deacons is something of a mystery.
“As a result, he doesn't bring a lot of baggage into the conclave in terms of past ecclesiastical controversies, potentially making him attractive both to those seeking continuity with Pope Francis and those hoping for change.”
In social-media debates, Pizzaballa fits into several papabile camps. He is an Italian, with strong ties to Francis, yet doctrinal conservatives have not found statements that scare them. Catholic progressives, of course, are parsing the same documents.
Consider, for example, this passage in the 2023 address in which the Latin Patriarch discussed the various worship "rites" found in his Middle East congregations, which is tricky territory because of efforts by Pope Francis to severely limit use of the traditional Latin Mass.
“A renewal of faith and communion among us, without losing ourselves in quarrels and factions — we can no longer afford this luxury when we are in a boat increasingly smaller on the turbulent sea of the world — could be the most powerful and eloquent announcement,” said Pizzaballa.
“Our Christian East has always been distinguished in the beauty of liturgical forms and icons, expressions of the beauty of Christ and the Holy Trinity, the Church, the communion and the faith that unites us. Rooted in the tradition and each one in their own liturgical identity, it is necessary to find and propose a new aesthetic, a Christianity that is truly attractive to the world around us, a world in which churches have less and less interest, except for tourism or to take some selfies to share with friends.”
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Terry Mattingly is Senior Fellow on Communications and Culture at Saint Constantine College in Houston. He lives in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and writes Rational Sheep, a Substack newsletter on faith and mass media.