Religious leaders' visits remind us of the need for meaningful lives

The visits to the United States last week of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI ignited a yearning for a deeper, more meaningful life for many Americans.

The Tibetan holy man's visit revealed a leader of peace, nonviolence, compassion and global responsibility. His message reached beyond religion into the humanity of each of us. The Dalai Lama said, "Everyone deep inside has some kind of goodness. There is some kind of divine sense in everyone."

Benedict XVI's visit likewise received wide national coverage. His call to holiness had two major dimensions: the need to acknowledge our failings and the need to be vulnerable to the love of God.

Benedict courageously faced the sexual-abuse scandal and apologized for the tremendous violence done to children and for the church's mishandling of it. As a church, he said, we need to acknowledge what we cannot explain: How could people in the church find themselves party to such an unspeakable evil?

In many ways, facing this scandal properly is the mission of the Catholic Church today, for the sake of the culture, for the sake of the children. It is not a distraction. It is the work of confession of sin, of healing and of seeking forgiveness, which is at the heart of the mission of Jesus. It is easy to lose sight of this.

A second dimension of Benedict's spiritual message called upon Catholics especially, but all people of goodwill, to center their hope on God. In an affluent society, he said, the subtle influence of materialism can all too easily be an obstacle to the encounter with the living God.

"People today," he explained, "need to be reminded of the ultimate purpose of their lives. They need to recognize that implanted within them is a deep thirst for God. They need to be given opportunities to drink from the wells of his infinite love."

Benedict commented that it is easy to think that we can obtain our deepest needs by our own efforts. This is an illusion. "Without God, who alone bestows upon us what we by ourselves cannot attain, our lives are ultimately empty."

With all the fanfare of receptions, parades, White House and United Nations talks, it has been easy to lose sight of why the pope specifically came to the United States now. In fact, it is the 200th anniversary of the founding of the dioceses of Boston, New York and Philadelphia, as well as the elevation of Baltimore to an archdiocese. The pope picked up on this theme in order to emphasize solidarity with the oppressed and care for the poor.

Many of the people to whom John Carroll, the first American bishop, and his fellow bishops were ministering two centuries ago had traveled from distant lands, Benedict reminded the bishops. "I want to encourage you and your communities," he said, "to continue to welcome the immigrants."

"This [openness to the stranger] is what your fellow countrymen have done for generations," the pope commented. "From the beginning, they have opened their doors to the tired, the poor, the 'huddled masses yearning to breathe free.' These are the people whom America has made her own."

The visits of these two world religious leaders remind us that painful humiliation can be a graced opportunity.

And secondly, they proclaimed that the love of God and compassion for others manifest themselves in vulnerability.

The crucifix itself expresses the total vulnerability of Jesus: the outstretched arms, the open heart, the forgiveness of everything and everyone. This vulnerability throughout his life left him open to suffering and to joy.

The Rev. Patrick Howell, S.J., is vice president for mission and ministry at Seattle University. Readers may send feedback to faithcolumns@seattletimes.com