Stop Calling the Pope Woke
And why we need to be wiser digital stewards
It’s not for the reason you may think.
Hang with me for a second.
Since the election of Pope Leo XIV, I have had several people at work send me a photo of some particular “quoted” words of the new pontiff. While I could find some similar verbiage from his first speech on the balcony or his first homily, the last line about calling people/the world/the Church to be woke made me scratch my head a bit.
It was clear that this was not a confirmed quote from the Holy Father but rather a possible AI creation.
One of the alarming things with such a digital conclave, is the intensity of trying to label Pope Leo XIV in one political camp or another, as it seems Americans do these days. I’ll be the first admit that I did it bit myself.
The problem is not “being woke” (more on that in a minute) but rather that some secular media and some political pundits are trying to put the Pope in “their” camp. Instead, we should really just, “just let Leo be Leo,” as Katie McGrady kept saying in the first days of his election.
Listen to him, learn from and stop trying to put words in his mouth. Let him pope as he grows into the role. Stop making up stories about him from what you hear in a 3 minutes news reel.
Let’s let Leo be Leo and stop putting a label on him.
Okay, check.
Connected to this is also being a good digital steward - the places we get our news media, the pictures or sites that we share really matters. In a sense, be responsible and wise with social media. Follow a source all the way to its origin. Give credit for photos and original words and ideas.
Now I will be the first to admit that when I saw the former Cardinal Prevost retweeted against JD Vance’s bad theology, I was delighted as someone who does not drink the MAGA flavor of Kool-Aid. Pope Leo has seemed to have a somewhat active social media presence leading up to his election and it is clear that he does not have a problem naming and calling out injustice.
In the first day or two of his election, I was trying to balance the fury of reading about the new pontiff. I had to remind myself to take a step back and consider what I was consuming (although some of those Chicago related memes were pretty funny).
For people of faith, I think we do have a collective responsibility to be good digital stewards with our posts, stories, re-shares, and words. Especially right now in the world.
Am I perpetuating misinformation and creating confusion? Am I adding to the noise? Am I fueling fires that tear down another person’s humanity?
Am I building and creating peace in the spaces I spend my time online? Am I a peacemaker and bridge-builder? Am I a person or a space of hope for other people?
It was a good (probably necessary gut check) for me and something I should ask myself from time to time.
Now getting back to this “woke pope” idea…
I do not find the idea of being “woke” to be problematic. If anything, I find it Gospel centric. It names and identities the evil that is present in unjust systems - anything that destroys the human dignity and the common good of all people. That is no different from what Jesus did in his public ministry.
One of the most helpful explanations I have found for a faith-based understanding is from Gloria Purvis in her 2021 America Magazine article on what it means to be “woke” and Catholic.1
And frankly, one I have returned to many times over the last few years.
Gloria writes:
“Although the term “woke” was used positively within the racial justice movement, it has been co-opted and misunderstood in recent years. From my perspective as a Black Catholic woman who has known personally the reality of systemic injustice, I understand the term “woke” to mean being alert and awakening to injustice, including racial injustice. It resonates with my understanding of the Christian call to conversion.
She continues:
The first step is waking up. The second step is responding. If I believe in the dignity of the human person and the unity of the human family, it follows that I must be actively doing good, which includes thwarting social evils. As a Catholic, this action also involves the interior life: confessing my sins, attending the Holy Mass, praying and following the church’s social and moral teachings. This is the basis for being woke.
I bristle when I hear the term “woke” being used as a slur or term of derision. Why? It mocks the real suffering and struggles for justice. To me, it says: “I don’t know you. I don’t care to know you. I damn sure don’t care if you are suffering. Your efforts for justice are a joke to me.” It is a convenient excuse for remaining detached from or opposed to combatting the evil of racial injustice. I tell myself these people must not really mean this. They must just be unaware, through no fault of their own. I repeat this to myself and pray they will have their eyes and hearts opened. I pray they will wake up.”
I encourage you to go and read the entire article.
Another way to say this is what my friend Laura has expressed over and over again with many of the problematic policies of the current administration, “I do so because my faith compels me.”
My faith compels me to stand up, speak out, and stand with.
Because the Gospel message of Jesus asks something of me, challenges me, and calls me to daily conversion.
So…
Let’s let Leo be Leo.
Be an intentional digital steward.
Yes be woke, because hopefully your personal faith compels you too.
(an honorary mention) Let’s pray for Pope Leo too :)
I am off to curl up with a good library book while listening to the rain hit the roof. May it be a good week for you!
All the best,
Patty
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/09/09/woke-catholic-racial-justice-241374?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=979034300&gclid=CjwKCAjwravBBhBjEiwAIr30VFHyWk8CwALb0pt7ChA266HpbctYL1fTba_X4xvJ_FVkLjl-cwx4ThoC5v4QAvD_BwE