To certain traditional Catholic ears, the pontiff from Buenos Aires was cause for concern. To more worldly ears, he was cause for rejoicing

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The real achievement of Pope Francis was not often remarked. It was that he managed to do the job at all, sometimes well, sometimes less so. But after two historic predecessors, the great fear was the office would overwhelm the man.

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Pope John Paul II, already canonized, was spoken of by Francis himself as “the Great” — a title given only to Pope Leo the Great (440-461) and Pope Gregory the Great (590-604). John Paul, one of the dominant figures of the 20th century, is amongst those few popes who will be remembered centuries after his death. Likewise, his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, a rare case of a towering theologian seated on the papal throne, will be studied for generations hence. They were unusual; most popes, maximally prominent during their lives, fade quickly after their deaths.

In 2013, the question was whether any successor could truly succeed. The demands of the modern papacy were such that Benedict abdicated under the increasing burden of age. Even the most accomplished of men might be crushed by the burden. But Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, the first Latin American pope, was not at all overwhelmed.

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From the first he bent the ancient office to his will, refusing to wear the customary ceremonial garb on the balcony, refusing to use the papal car (he hopped on the Cardinals’ shuttle bus) and then refusing to live in the papal residence (he took quarters in the Vatican hotel). He was confident and charted his own course.

No office — even one established by Jesus Christ — can endure if it requires only superheroes to fill it. Pope Francis brought the office back down to size after 35 years of giants, John Paul and Benedict.

The humble........

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