Tuesday, January 20, 2015

A question for which there is no answer

In the Old Testament we find Job asking the same quintessential question: "Why do His faithful never see His justice?"
(Jb 24:1). The Psalmist likewise finds himself in a dejected state as he pleads: "Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and our oppression?" (Ps 44:24).  In both cases there are no answers, and neither does Pope Francis have one when a 12-year old ex-street kid asked him essentially the same question:

"There are many children neglected by their own parents," Glyzelle said Sunday at a ceremony at a 400-year-old Catholic  university in Manila. "There are also many who became victims and many terrible things happened to them like drugs or  prostitution. "Why is God allowing such things to happen, even if it is not the fault of the children?" she asked the Pope, breaking down into tears as she spoke.

Rather than expounding on a theological treatise, the Pope did right: he simply embraced the crying child.

"She is the only one who has put a question for which there is no answer and she wasn't even able to express it in words but in tears", the Pope later said.

For me it was one of the most moving event in the recent papal visit. All we need is Christ's embrace, for we are sure His justice prevails in the end.