By now most people have seen the photo of Pope Francis kissing the pilgrim with neurofibromatosis in St. Peter's Square. I am not sure what to make of this other than that the world seems to have an incredibly humble and pious man in what is probably the single most significant and powerful ecclesiastical office in the world.
Amy Davidson has a nice piece in the New Yorker about the picture, the moment, Pope Francis, and whether the Catholic Church is in the midst of change. I think, however, that she misses the importance of moments like this. Whether Pope Francis effects institutional change or not will be an important historical question some day, but the remarkable thing about this photo is the striking manner in which it seems to capture the essence of Francis as a man. I didn't get the impression that this is theater. Commentators seem to agree that this is a genuine moment and genuinely reflects who Pope Francis is. If that is the case, then we should celebrate the man not because of his historical significance but instead because as the Vicar of Christ he actually lives as Christ commanded.
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