“Kindness is firm and persevering intention to always will the good of others, even the unfriendly.” “We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.” – Pope Francis.

I believe it was in the mid-1980s when Pope John Paul came to town. My parents had received an invite to attend a nondenominational service, which Mom was quite excited about, and Dad, a minister, played Protestant possum, feigning indifference. The day finally arrived, and off they went to see the Pope. From what I heard, it was quite an event. Their ticket allowed them access to the church side of the street and admission into the cathedral.

Later that evening, they returned, Dad extending his arm as far as he could, gushing that the Pope had walked the aisle beside them and taken his hand. That was the moment Dad became a Catholic-Protestant, swearing that he would never wash his hands again.

Fast forward forty years, and there’s a different Pope at the Vatican, one I consider just as angelic as JP. I caught a YouTube clip of him holding what seemed like a session in a plaza with a small group of Italians. At the mic, about 20 feet from the pope, a young boy was being urged to ask his question. He shyly refused until the pope suggested he come up and whisper it in his ear. There, the pope sat with the young boy, standing close enough that whispering could occur back and forth from ear to ear until the question and answer had been shared.

Afterward, the Pope explained to the crowd once the child gave permission. It seems his Dad was a professed atheist and had recently died. The boy stated that even though the father did not believe, he still ensured the kids were baptized. His concern was that he did not know if his father was in heaven, and he was seeking some reassurance. The Pope gently told the boy that his Papa was definitely in heaven, and he should be very proud of him for proceeding with the baptism even though he did not believe. He said God would be pleased.

The interaction was so utterly kind. The head of the Catholic Church physically met that boy at his level, communicated in his comfort zone, and reassured him, precisely what he needed. I, too, am a Catholic-Protestant now. What beautiful things can happen when we take the time to remove barriers and listen to each other.

In retirement, I will remember that display of love and try to extend the same grace when faced with another human’s vulnerability.