benedict XVI

THE POPE IS MINE
AND I HAVEN’T LOST HIM

by Rose Busingye  
Educator and Director of the
Meeting Point of Kampala, Uganda

I have never thought of Benedict XVI as the “Pope” far from me. He was, and is, a friend, a relative, a person who is part of me. A gift. When he spoke to me of God, of Christ, he spoke to the totality of my being, like a father who takes you by hand and explains the reasons for things, and you understand that he is important in your life. The Pope is important for my life. If everything is Christ’s, and he is Christ’s, the Pope is mine. It is not an effort or toilsome to say this–it is such a normal thing. He is mine. What is God’s is mine. What I belong to is mine. Within faith, you find unity with every person. I’ve met Benedict XVI three times, in Rome. When you see his face, the way he looks at you, which is an embrace, you do not feel he is distant, but you want to throw yourself in his arms, as you would with your father. The formal image of the Pope disappears, and not out of lack of respect, but because you feel at home. You want to tell him about yourself, like a child confiding in her father. When I heard of his resignation, I felt like the disciples of Emmaus discussing among themselves and complaining a bit. I also said to myself, “Well, he didn’t come to Uganda, the Year of Faith has begun, and now what?” Everything that I was waiting for seemed suspended, like a child who is waiting for her father after a long journey, and they tell her he will not be coming. You are not desperate, because you know he exists, but you still ask, “Who will explain things to me now?” Later, through grace, Fr. Carrón’s message came. It was as if he said, “Wasn’t your heart burning within you when Jesus spoke and explained the Scriptures?” It was exactly the same experience of the disciples of Emmaus. I remembered Benedict XVI’s letter to the Meeting: “the nature of man is relationship to the infinite.” Nothing is lost, just redefined. That message explained to me what was happening. I understood that within this belonging to God, you lose nothing. Then I felt an explosion of gratitude for having a father who educates you to the existence of things. Fr. Carrón made me say, “I haven’t lost, because the Pope did it for me.” Whatever builds up the Pope builds me up; what the Pope has indicated up to now is what makes both of us free.