Another thought on interpreting Pope Francis

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jan 10, 2014

Pope Francis continues to surprise us, speaking in ways that we don't expect from a Pontiff. For those who are trying to understand his way of thinking, here's one more thought to keep in mind:

Both Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI were accomplished scholars, who taught for years at the university level. The former taught philosophy, the later theology. Pope Francis, on the other hand, never pursued a career in academic life, and when he did teach, he taught literature. Whereas philosophy and theology call for detailed, logical analysis and careful distinctions, literature and literary criticism call for imagination and the use of colorful imagery. This is not to suggest that one approach is better than the other; they're just different.

Next time you read a text of a homily by Pope Francis, notice his use of language. He makes unusual comparisons; he sketches characters; he creates little dialogues. Doesn't he sound like someone who would be more comfortable with novelists than with philosophers? In his brief pontificate, John Paul I showed something of the same tendency; remember his whimsical letters to historic and even fictional personalities? After 30+ years of philosophy professors, we've grown accustomed to thinking that a Pope necessarily talks in a certain way. Not so.