Pope Leo XIV’s recent visit to Spain has been a true celebration for thousands of Catholics. We’ve seen long lines, packed squares, and people traveling hundreds of kilometers in the hope of catching a glimpse of him for just a few seconds. The excitement was palpable. And yet, all this joy has brought to light a paradox worth reflecting on.
Comedian Nachter illustrated this perfectly in one of his Reels. With his lighthearted style, he showed how Christians who wait in line for hours to get close to the Pope are the same ones who sit in the back pews when they attend Mass.
I see this every Sunday at my parish. The pastor never begins the service until the front pews are filled. However, there’s rarely a crowd scrambling for those prime seats. Quite the opposite, in fact: it’s often the pastor himself who has to point at someone to fill that empty pew. It’s curious: we’re there to encounter God, but we don’t seem particularly interested in getting closer to Him.
Being fans, like Bad Bunny's fans
Perhaps, in this sense, we Christians could learn something from Bad Bunny’s fans. His fans are eager to be at the famous «casita»; they stand in endless lines to get a better view of the artist or even to touch him. They enjoy the event to the fullest, and when they leave, they boast about having experienced something extraordinary: «I saw Bad Bunny up close!».
The comparison may seem provocative, but what kind of image do we project of our faith if we follow Christ with less enthusiasm than we do an artist? St. Carlo Acutis himself wondered the very same thing. His mother recounted that he couldn’t understand why people didn’t line up to visit the King of the Universe, alive and real in the tabernacle: «Eternal Life is in the tabernacle, and yet the churches are empty,» he would say.
As Matthew said: «You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Who would dare to become a fan of God if those who claim to follow Him aren’t lining up to see Him?
Remain salty
But the issue goes far beyond the witness we give to others. It also affects our own spiritual life. The greatest danger for any believer is not usually outright rejection of God, but routine. Routine. That is why we should strive to remain «salt» and cultivate a sense of wonder at God’s greatness.
What a blessed sense of wonder! Saint John Paul II spoke of two spiritual attitudes for discovering God, who comes to meet us. «The second—after attentive and watchful waiting—is admiration, a sense of wonder. We must open our eyes to admire God, who hides himself and at the same time reveals himself in all things» (General Audience, July 26, 2000).
That is why the devil is eager to rob us of this sense of wonder. He wants us to take God’s wonders for granted, thereby dampening our passion and our desire to see Him. How can we take for granted that God speaks to us like a lover in every Liturgy of the Word? How can we take for granted that He dies for us and bears our sins? How can we get used to the fact that God thirsts to see us and will do anything to meet us?
The Pope: A Push to the Front Row
Perhaps that is why the Pope’s visit has also been an opportunity—an opportunity to ask ourselves whether we live out our faith from the back row or from the front row, and to ask ourselves whether we seek Christ with the dedication he deserves.
Because when the crowds disperse and the big events are over, Jesus will still be waiting for us in the tabernacle. No spotlights. No applause. No lines. And perhaps the real question isn’t how moved we were to see the Pope, but how much we long to draw closer to Christ every day.
Let's hope we learn to live with a strong faith.
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