Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi, bishop emeritus of San Cristóbal de Las Casas and responsible for the Doctrine of Faith at the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM), offers Exaudi readers his weekly article titled “The arrogance of Power.”
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LOOK
In other times, when someone was elected Bishop of Rome and was still given historical titles such as Vicar of Christ Jesus, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God so that the fumes would not rise, some cotton was burned in front of him and this phrase was said to him in Latin: Sic transit gloria mundi; which means: Thus the glory of the world passes. This was intended to make him understand that he should not boast of the position assigned to him. The fact is that vainglory is one of the greatest temptations for anyone.
Where machismo prevails, the man feels with all the authority and does not take into account the wife and children, but rather he decides according to his opinion, his prepotency and arrogance. It can happen the same with some women. Something similar happens with teachers or school directors, with the heads of an office, with the owners of businesses or companies, with those who have more possessions and money, with the managers of any instance, even in sports. The same thing can happen to those of us who have some authority in the Church, bishops, priests, deacons, catechists or ministers: we believe we are owners of the truth and almost of God, unquestionable, dominating and contemptuous towards those who in a certain way depend on us. We have not understood authority as humble service, as Jesus teaches us, but rather we boast about the position we have. Pope Francis is fighting hard so that in the Church we assume the synodal spirit, all brothers and equal in dignity and mission in what is common to all the baptized, without losing the service of presiding over the community; However, many lay people complain that clericalism still prevails, as an abuse and centralization of the Presbyterian and episcopal ministry.
Those who exercise civil, political, legislative and judicial power can allow themselves to be dominated by arrogance. Now that the majority of votes have favored them, they can feel almost owners of citizen life, that they can have laws at their discretion, people and property. They become unbearable, even though those around them flatter and applaud them and want to look good to them, more than anything out of the interest of achieving some position or favor. They do not listen to those who think differently and, abusing their power, including the media, they offend, insult, disqualify and threaten with tax or judicial investigations. Not only that, but they believe themselves to be blameless, in corrupt and truthful in everything. Likewise, they proclaim themselves defenders of the people, but their behavior is as if they were absolute kings. They become disgusting! And they do not realize that all empires pass away, even those that believed themselves to be all-powerful. Our Church has not passed away, despite so many errors and limitations that we have had, because its foundation is divine; If it weren’t for that, since when would we have finished it ourselves. But all earthly empires have gone down in history, and some with much discredit.
DISCERN
Pope Francis, in one of his catechesis on vices and virtues, says:
“Humility is the great antagonist of the most deadly of vices, that is, pride. While pride and arrogance swell the human heart, making us appear more than we are, humility returns everything to its proper dimension: we are wonderful but limited creatures, with virtues and defects. The Bible reminds us from the beginning that we are dust and to dust we will return (cf. Gen. 3:19); “humble”, in fact, comes from humus, earth. However, delusions of omnipotence often arise in the human heart, so dangerous that they do us great harm.
Blessed are the people who keep in their hearts the perception of their own littleness! These people are safe from an ugly vice: arrogance. In his Beatitudes, Jesus starts precisely from them: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). It is the first Beatitude because it is the basis of those that follow: in fact, meekness, mercy, purity of heart arise from that inner feeling of smallness. Humility is the gateway to all virtues.
+Humility is everything. It is what saves us from the Evil One and from the danger of becoming his accomplice. And humility is the source of peace in the world and in the Church. Where there is no humility, there is war, there is discord, there is division. God has given us an example of humility in Jesus and Mary, so that it may be our salvation and happiness. And humility is precisely the way, the path to salvation” (May 22, 2024).
ACT
Without denying the qualities that each of us have, which are gifts from God for community service, let us also recognize our limitations, our errors and faults. Let us know how to value others, who are different and have other points of view; we must listen to them, respect them and value them. Let us ask God to grant us to be humble and simple, like Jesus, like the Virgin Mary and the great saints.
