The Smell of Sheep

Pope Francis’s funeral did not mean the end of my admiration for this uncommon leader.  I am rereading two biographies of Jorge Bergoglio, as he was known before he took the name of Francis for his papacy.  I’m also reading some of his sermons—many of them his spontaneous thoughts—as well as reflections from Church leaders and laypeople about him. 

The word that keeps surfacing in all this material by and about Pope Francis is “shepherd.”  For Pope Francis, shepherd was not a cozy image, but a radical definition of how he understood his role.  Having taught Church History for many years, I’m aware that many popes in the distant past behaved more like power-hungry and power-wielding kings than shepherds.  

For Pope Francis, a shepherd is foremost one who lives among the sheep.  When he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he declined the chauffeured limousine and instead travelled every day by bus to his office.  When he became pope, he preferred travelling in the backseat of a small Fiat.  Those who paid close attention to his appearance saw that he continued wearing his standard black orthopedic shoes and his cheap watch.  Even the cross he wore around his neck was the one he’d worn as Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Pope Francis was fond of saying that a priest, no matter if he becomes a monsignor, bishop, archbishop, cardinal, or pope, should always “smell like the sheep.”  By this, he meant that priests should be found among the poor and the forgotten, not the rich and famous.  On his visit to the US in 2015, he turned down an invitation to lunch with congressional leaders, saying he had a prior engagement.  We learned later that he lunched with some of the homeless at one of the shelters in Washington, DC. 

In a world where cynicism comes easy, it’s tempting to dismiss such actions as public relations gimmicks.  That is to be unfair to this uncommon leader.  A little-known story that I read recently shared that when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he’d buy a newspaper every morning to read on his bus ride to work.  Every Friday, he’d give five rubber bands back to the newspaper seller.  As the writer who shared this story went on to comment, Archbishop Bergoglio and Pope Francis lived out Mother Theresa’s belief that no act is small if done with love. 

In this age when “No Kings” rallies are occurring across the country, it’s important to note that kings don’t fare well in the Bible.  A good ninety percent of the kings of Judah and Israel were terrible leaders.  Even prominent kings like David and Solomon embraced power and misused it. 

What God longs for in the Bible is shepherds.  For kings, the goal is to amass power, prestige, and anything that draws attention to them.  Over time, kings tend to become tyrants, figures to be feared.  Kings never smell like sheep.

For shepherds, the goal is for the sheep, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, to be protected and cared for.  People under the care of shepherds are meant to feel safe.  In an era when leaders seemingly everywhere are grasping for more and more power, I believe it is no accident that Pope Francis showed a different model of leadership.  May his example never be forgotten.