The Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul: Friends in Glory

People are one of the best things about life. They can also be one of the worst. Putting aside the realm of moral faults which we call sin, I have derived consolation from the concept that moral theologians once called “imperfection”, which are those traits and actions which are not morally wrong, but yet are the result of being a fallen creature in a fallen world. Our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Mother, having never sinned, theoretically would have the most balanced of personalities. But everyone from St. John the Baptist to St. John XXIII could be cranky, manic-depressive, cripplingly shy, or a whole host of things which would not necessarily detract from their sanctity.

The Scriptures present us time and again with men and women striving to serve God, but whom often fall prey to their weakest link. That weak link may be internal, like someone’s vices and shortcomings. It could also be external, like in the case of a betrayal. But not all of these weaknesses need be sinful; they may simply be temperamental. St. Augustine and St. Jerome, St. Philip Neri and St. Charles Borromeo, and so many others, butted heads and strongly disagreed, even though all were holy. Conflict between saints is instructive because it should remind us that the only place where full harmony exists is in glory, where God’s will is completely clear, and everyone follows it.

One of the pitfalls I see both in Church life and in public life is the mistaken idea that conflict is something which must be avoided at all costs. Ironically, this seems to the most insisted upon by those who seek to dominate the most without any resistance. Conflict is not the antithesis of unity or charity. People can intensely disagree and not violate a single one of the commandments. In fact, some of the commandments can, and should, motivate one to disagree. Conflict is just one means by which true dialogue can be opened up. It is a tool like any other. Some conflict is the coup de grace for otherwise fraught relationships. Some conflict is like a mighty summer storm, with the tranquility and peace of understanding falling like brilliant sunlight after the fact. What does seem to matter, above all, is that both parties seek understanding, and assume basic good will. If either is lacking, conflict will be destructive, not productive. Yet it is a mistake, like with all great tools, to take away its use, because of its abuse.

The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul this Wednesday for me usually makes me reflect on subjects like the Apostolicity of the Church, or the importance of Romanitas, or a host of other things. Yet this year, what comes to mind in my meditations is the friendship of the two very great, but very different Saints. The disputes between Paul and Peter are well documented in Saint Paul’s own words. His epistle to the Galatians describes how they butted heads over Peter’s own personal ‘pastoral’ mistakes, where he seemed to prefer circumcised Jews to Gentiles. For anyone who has scratched their heads at any of the words of St. Paul, even St. Peter admitted his friend’s words were “difficult to understand” (2 Peter 3:16), but defended him nonetheless. Even though these two men did experience conflict and misunderstanding, it is also clear they deeply respected each other.

The charity of the First Apostles, perhaps even more than the unity of their pastoral praxis, is probably their most striking features, especially after my own experience of clerical culture. These men, if they ever saw each other again after Pentecost (some indeed went very far away), had a sense of common purpose which is quite different from the first heretics and schismatics. We ought to note of course that heresy is a less serious offense than schism, because schism offends charity and wounds the unity of the Church which Christ directly intends for his body. Yet both are extremely dangerous. The Apostles’ manifestation of all the supernatural virtues is one of the signs of the divine power of grace working in their ministries, and in their enormous job of founding the primitive Church. The superabundance of these virtues, rather than human resources management or simple good manners, are supposed to characterize our relations with one another and with our leaders. It also is supposed to be how our leaders act toward us.

The friendship of Saints Peter and Paul should remind us that it is quite possible to remain in communion even if we strongly disagree. However, there is only so much one can disagree before fatigue sets in. Just like I mentioned before regarding the need for understanding and good will, I think there is a final element to this friendship that we must admit is a feature of every successful and truly life-giving relationship: selflessness. When we come together as a Church, I believe the most selfless thing we can practice is an unbreakable fidelity to all our tradition, both ancient and contemporary, from Pentecost up through Vatican II and beyond. Tradition and our adherence to it is fundamentally selfless because we admit that there is something that we have received through no or little merit of our own, and we are charged with passing that on to a future we will never see. Saints Peter and Paul were deeply cognizant of that. This one reason why Saint Paul was able to challenge factionalism, of those who belonged to “Paul and Apollos”. We have One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, and holding to that with all our love is the cornerstone of our unity in Christ.

In light of recent criticisms I have made of the Holy Father’s policies and also that of the Bishops, I think for some people, this talk may seem disloyal or even subversive. But I don’t think that is fair to me and others like me. I think I speak for the vast majority of faithful Catholics today when I say that to think of the Pope of Rome with anything other than affection and reverence is an abnormality. But there is something about this pontificate that has made a critical Mass of Catholics lose a sense of common cause with him. If the leader of any organization appears to lose sight of what it is all about, almost inevitably, contrary voices and parties will begin to gain outsize influence, because people naturally rally around leadership in a vacuum. As Peter today seems to be more and more surrounded by the wolves, we worry deeply about the spiritual health of our shepherd.

Cicero once famously remarked that friendship is “nothing less than an agreement of all things divine and human” between two people. While that may seem like an extremely high bar to most people in our age which focuses very much upon tolerance, there is something to be said for that. For the Pope to be believed as a friend and father of the faithful, he needs to be seen, almost without exception, to consent to all things that the Church says regarding divine and human affairs. Yet it is an empirical fact that he has not only associated himself with traditional enemies of the Church and Christian Morals, from UNESCO to Bill Gates, but he has also distanced himself from traditional allies and friends, like when he refused to receive Cardinal Zen in Rome, or his deafening silence to the Dubia.

For me, my allegiance and love of the Holy Father is better served by these (what I consider) constructive criticisms, rather than my unblinking admiration. And that’s something I think is crucially important. A hallmark of a deep friendship, a stable relationship, is its ability to withstand stress and the forces that would dissolve it. Yes, Saint Paul was a peer of Saint Peter, as an Apostle. But Saint Peter was still the Pope. I say what I say because of my charity both for Jorge Bergoglio, and my desire that he discharge his office and govern the Church with wisdom and prudence. I also say it because the Papacy as an institution is far greater and older than Jorge Bergoglio, and his actions and inactions can exalt or humble that office. When he is gone, it is in all our interests to ask, is our Church in a better or worse condition after this Pontificate? If so why? If not, why not? The Scriptures say that the blows of our friends are better than the kisses of our enemies. As the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul approaches, through their intercession, may we learn to sincerely love another, and most of all our leaders, to whom we owe profound love and devotion, even if, for a time, our devotion does not seem to be a kiss, but a punch.