Dear Pope Francis

Dear Pope Francis,

I AM writing this
missive because the
poetic muse in my soul
bleeds outward
and yes, inward as well.

The chasm within me—
so deep. While I
know this may never
pass through the
Papal doorway,
I WRITE—
my words, my voice…
my spirit.

I hear you…
I see you out on
the highways and byways…
You stretch your arms—
an extension of PEACE.

I want NOTHING more
than to BELIEVE that the
Olive Branch you offer is
loaded with the ripest
of fruits.

I wish to UNDERSTAND—
really I do…
while you unite with
leaders trying to bridge
divides, inviting people to
‘see’ beyond separateness.
(some might call it non-dualistic thinking)

How, how can you NOT
begin to build a
bridge over
SEXISM.

How can you not even
be open to discussion—
the inhumanity,
the inequality,
the injustice—

While I have the
freedom to pen these
words, I have
sisters
across the great pond
secretly writing
THEIR STORIES—
if caught…
their lives
would cease
to be…

BUT, they share
their STORY…

Why don’t you
address that?
Do you know how
many women come
to the well
in the middle of the day?

BRING them/us
a NEW SPIRIT,
a NEW TRUTH that
the CHRIST message
began.

Please…how can you look
into those eyes of innocence
and say, “You can be
involved in so many ways
BUT you cannot be a
PRIESTESS
for the God who dwells in You.”

If the God
incarnate in each of us
DWELLS
how can you say,
“NOT IN THIS CHURCH?”

Universality—
ONE holy apostolic…

When will you remove the nails
and unshackle the doors
so ALL might be WELCOMED?

Women are speaking
and MORE importantly
they’re LIVING
the GOSPEL…

I’m NOT asking to
erase HISTORY—
I’m asking to begin
to write on fresh paper—blank lines.

Let’s write a story
for this generation
and future generations
‘showing’ TRANSFORMATION
is real. It is ALIVE
in this Church.

Can we look in her eyes
and tell her—Yes…
the call you have—
it IS your vocation!
“Come, come enter this ‘reign’—
well done, well done
daughter of mine.

Juanita says:

January 19, 2015 at 11:38 am

Well done sister

Jan Hendron says:

January 19, 2015 at 1:54 pm

So very well written, dear Sandy. I’m sharing it on Facebook; and pray Francis will stretch his arms and mind even further. Even his reinforcement of contraception is an insult.

Gloria Ulterino says:

January 19, 2015 at 2:06 pm

Hi, Sandy,
Oh, this one is exquisite! Powerful! Truthful! How I pray that the Pope receives it, into his very being. Thank you! Gloria

Carol Dussault says:

January 19, 2015 at 2:08 pm

Thank you for putting our thoughts and wishes in words…. You add light and hope in your work, which helps us keep our Spirits up…
May the Spirit continue to be shared for many years to come… Crc

Ann says:

January 19, 2015 at 5:20 pm

Wow, Sandy, this is so powerful! You have done an excellent job of presenting your thoughts (and the thoughts of many others) with clarity and urgency. I can “feel” the nudge within your words; okay, the “push” and the imagery, particularly of the mid-day visits by so many of us to the well. In the Living Water that Jesus gave the Samaritan woman, did she not rush back to spread the Good News? So must we persist in our urgency to be equal members of the Church. By our baptisms we are all called to be priest, prophet, and king. It would be “good news” to have the door opened at least a little, and I believe that Francis (whom I greatly love and admire for his humility) could be the one to turn the doorknob and open the door, even if it’s “just a little.” All one needs is the door to be slightly opened to get in.