So, on December 27 the Pope emeritus went for lunch to Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican hotel where Pope Francis lives. The Vatican secretary for relations with States, msgr. Dominique Mamberti, and the assessor to the Secretariat of State msgr. Peter Bryan Wells, had lunch with the two Popes, together with the two Popes’ personal secretaries.

It is striking that both the number 1 and the number 2 of the Secretariat of State, i.e. the Secretary of State msgr. Pietro Parolin and his deputy msgr. Angelo Becciu, were not sitting at the same table. According to what is deducible from the short communiqué released through the Vatican radio, both Parolin and Becciu were not in Rome. The communiqué only states that Wells and Mamberti had been invited because «they were in Rome.»

It is also striking that Pope emeritus visit to Pope Francis had not been announced via the usual channels (an anticipations of the Holy See Press Office bollettino to the press agencies, and then the Bollettino itself), while it was announced via Vatican Radio. This is the way through which the news are delivered if the Vatican does not want them to have such a relevance. 

This comunication strategy has been now enough experimented. Communication seems to have become the most important deal in the Vatican. Communication strategy grabbed importance during the Vatileaks scandal, when the Vatican perceived the need to hire an advisor for Communication for the Stae Secretariat, chosen in the person of Greg Burke. Communication strategy was pivotal for cardinals during the pre-conclave meetings, and this is the reason why cardinals in conclave chose for a «change of narration», according to a Wall Street Journal report based on the conversation with four different cardinals. Communication strategy is considered so pivotal to ask McKinsey to study a new Vatican medias strategy.

With his charisma and his natural way to address the crowd, Pope Francis is the corner stone of this new strategy of communication. The risk is that the attention is more focused on Pope Francis gestures, while his words are left unobserved. 

In his “urbi et orbi” message of the Christmas day, Pope Francis, for example, listed countries that suffer conflicts or where Christians are persecuted. The day after, on December 26, Pope Francis spoke about persecuted Christians again, insisting on the issue as much as Benedict XVI did. These messages hardly grab he headlines of the big medias, with rare excpetions, while Pope Francis gestures are always well emphasized. 

In the end, a question remains: is professional communication adapt to the announcement of Gospel? Catholic Church message is eradicated on Truth, while communication need to emphasize emotions and images to be effective.  One must argue that a communication plan may not  be effective to announce the Gospel, while it can be effective to give a new image to the Church. 

Anyway, the new image risks to be untrue. Pope Francis, for example, did not break the tradition of the Church. His work and his commitment are rooted on a long term work and commitment made by previous Popes. The reforms Pope Francis has been working on since his election have begun under the previous Pontificate. And Pope Francis words are anyway in perfect continuity with the Church’s tradition, as the Pope himself said.

Coming back from the trip to Rio de Janeiro for the World Youth Day and responding to a question, Pope Francis explained why he did not speak, during his visit to Brazil, about the changes in society, the abortion, the gay marriages.

«The Churh – Pope Francis responded – has already spoken quite clearly on this.  It was unnecessary to return to it, just as I didn’t speak about cheating, lying, or other matters on which the Church has a clear teaching!  It wasn’t necessary to speak of it, but rather of the positive things that open up the path to young people.  Isn’t that right!  Besides, young people know perfectly well what the Church’s position is.»

When asked about his position, Pope Francis replied: «The position of the Church.  I am a son of the Church.»

Pope Francis the gave a more in depth explanation of the reason why he was not addressing those topics in the interview he granted to “La Civiltà Cattolica”. 

Pope Francis said to the Jesuit run magazine that the Church «cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods … when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context.»

He continued, «The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently. Proclamation in a missionary style focuses on the essentials, on the necessary things: this is also what fascinates and attracts more, what makes the heart burn, as it did for the disciples at Emmaus … the proposal of the Gospel must be more simple, profound, radiant. It is from this proposition that the moral consequences then flow.»

Pope Francis words echoed those of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. On November 9 2006, he met the Swiss bishops gathered for a meeting in the Vatican. He spoke off the cuff, blaming on himself that he had no time to prepare a written speech, and underlined he had not intention to indulge on the small issues, while he prefered highlighting the big themes.

Benedict XVI told:  «I remember, when I used go to Germany in the 1980s and ’90s, that I was asked to give interviews and I always knew the questions in advance. They concerned the ordination of women, contraception, abortion and other such constantly recurring problems. If we let ourselves be drawn into these discussions, the Church is then identified with certain commandments or prohibitions; we give the impression that we are moralists with a few somewhat antiquated convictions, and not even a hint of the true greatness of the faith appears. I therefore consider it essential always to highlight the greatness of our faith – a commitment from which we must not allow such situations to divert us».

Benedict XVI then added: «In the Church, the institution is not merely an external structure while the Gospel is purely spiritual. In fact, the Gospel and the Institution are inseparable because the Gospel has a body, the Lord has a body in this time of ours. Consequently, issues that seem at first sight merely institutional are actually theological and central, because it is a matter of the realization and concretization of the Gospel in our time.»

Certainly Pope Francis re-read this words, while it is widely spoken about possible reforms at least of the Curia organization. Pope Francis pastorality and Pope Benedict theology can together help the Church to get out of the crisis. This two souls cannot be detached the one from the other. And this is proved by Pope Francis continuous seeking for Benedict XVI – a seeking that aims to show a continuity and a friendship among the two Popes. 

It is arguable that the need to show the continuity is part of a communication strategy, and would be aimed to do away with critics and questions raised up during Pope Francis pontificate,  especially for what concerns a perceived lack of institutionality under Pope Francis. It may be. Anyway, the new year with two Popes will surely reveal that the Church’s doctrine has not changed. Pope Francis himself reshaped his revolution. His pontificate is not a breach with the past, as medias often depict it.   

The Pope said in his urbi et orbi message: «Yes, there is a good earth, a healthy earth, an earth freed of all selfishness and all lack of openness. In this world there is a good soil which God has prepared, that he might come to dwell among us. A dwelling place for his presence in the world. This good earth exists, and today too, in 2012, from this earth truth has sprung up! Consequently, there is hope in the world, a hope in which we can trust, even at the most difficult times and in the most difficult situations. Truth has sprung up, bringing kindness, justice and peace».

This assumption was an introduction to the Pope’s prayer for the world peace – a prayer that can be also seen as a geopolitical glance to the «hottest places» in the world. «May peace spring up – the Pope said  for the people of Syria, deeply wounded and divided by a conflict which does not spare even the defenceless and reaps innocent victims. Once again I appeal for an end to the bloodshed, easier access for the relief of refugees and the displaced, and dialogue in the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict». Then, the Pope prayed for Palestine, because the Redemeer «grant Israelis and Palestinians courage to end to long years of conflict and division, and to embark resolutely on the path of negotiation».

Recently, Egypt approved the new Constitution, based and inspired on shari’a, the Islamic Law. And generally, there is much concern for the transition in the countries of the Arab Spring. Holy See officials asked for a nurturing of democracy, and are working to preserve Catholic communities, that are increasingly considered at risks. This is the background that brings the Pope to pray for North-African countries. «May citizens – the Pope said – work together to build societies founded on justice and respect for the freedom and dignity of every person».

Asian scenario is also a complex one. People’s Republic of China has a new government, but relationships between Holy See and China are still difficult. Recently, China’s administration revoked the Episcopal appointment to Thaddeus Ma Daqin (now under house arrest), bishop of Shanghai, because he rejected the imposition of hands by an excommunicated bishop; did not drink from the same cup of the illicit bishop; publicly resigned from the Patriotic Association (PA) (the official Chinese Church), considering this an obstacle to his «pastoral and evangelization work». This was just the apex of a wide-spread tension in China. In his  Christmas message, card. John Tong Hon asked for «universal suffrage and defense for the family». In his urbi et orbi message, the Pope prayed the «King of Peace» to «turn his gaze to the new leaders of the People’s Republic of China for the high task which awaits them. I express my hope that, in fulfilling this task, they will esteem the contribution of the religions, in respect for each, in such a way that they can help to build a fraternal society for the benefit of that noble People and of the whole world».

Finally, the Pope prayed for Mali (plagued by a separatist war, that the local Church described as a «war of corrupted people») and Nigeria (where the bombings against Christian are unfortunately common news), for the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya («where – the Pope said – brutal attacks have struck the civilian population and places of worship»). In the end, Benedict XVI turn is gaze to Latin America. «May the Child Jesus – he said – bless the great numbers of the faithful who celebrate him in Latin America. May he increase their human and Christian virtues, sustain all those forced to leave behind their families and their land, and confirm government leaders in their commitment to development and fighting crime».

In fact, where God is denied – Benedict XVI maintained in his Christmas Eve Mass homily – there are war and violence. «If God’s light is extinguished, man’s divine dignity is also extinguished». When sometimes in history this light extinguished, religion «opposed to its deepest essence». Pope is not blind, he admits that «religions, especially monotheism, are the cause of the violence and the wars in the world». But he also responds asking «make room for him within ourselves», so that «we may recognize him also in those through whom he speaks to us: children, the suffering, the abandoned, those who are excluded and the poor of this world».

What did the Pope wish when he was 7? «I would like – he wrote – the Volks-Schott, a green suit to celebrate the Holy Mass and a Jesus’ Heart. I will always be good. Best regards, Joseph Ratzinger.» The letter was so peculiar that Maria – the Pope’s sister, who took care of Ratzinger until her death – decided to keep it. The letter was recovered when Ratzinger’s house in Pentling was being restored. The house is now a museum, inaugurated at the end of last summer by Georg Gaenswein, then Benedict XVI’s private secretary. Gaenswein reported that the rediscovery of the letter «made the Pope very happy, and made him smile.»

What is most striking is that little Joseph does not ask for toys or sweets. He asks for the Schott, one of the first books in German with a breviary and missal (with its text in Latin also). At that time, two editions were available in Germany: one for children and one for adults. Little Joseph, through that book, begins to love the liturgy that sets the rhythm of his family’s life. Little Ratzinger then asks for a vestment to celebrate Mass. No surprise, because the Ratzinger brothers used to pretend to be “parish priest”, and their mother made vestments for that. «We pretended to celebrate Mass – Georg Ratzinger, the Pope’s brother, told the American monthly Inside the Vatican – and we had vestments made for us by our mother’s seamstress. In turns, one of us was the priest and the other the altar boy». Finally, little Ratzinger asks for a «Jesus’ Heart» i.e. an image of the Sacred Heart, which his family was very devoted to.

Just an anecdote. But perhaps one should keep in mind this anecdote when Benedict XVI delivers his speeches. Whenever he defends family, there is something about memories of his own family. That it was a happy family, which life rhythm was set by liturgy, and where all rejoiced with one another.  It was a family in which it was sensible to be, because it represented the best for a child’s growth. When he became theologian, Joseph Ratzinger expanded his reflection on the meaning of family, based on the Holy Family of Nazareth. Through the example of the Holy Family, he wanted to explain why a «traditional» family was needed. This defense of family started on strictly theological basis. But also on a rational basis.

An idea the Pope has put front and center in his Christmas address to the Roman Curia. In that address, the Pope generally looks back at the life of the Church in the year that is coming to an end. As usual, the Pope flew high. No hint of Vatileaks, nor of internal problems: in the end, these problems really do not amount to much, just petty miseries of the human condition, when compared to the Church’s challenges and agenda. So, Benedict XVI put on the table three issues that marked the Church’s life and that will be on the agenda for the next ten years: family, dialogue, and new evangelization.

The Papal address starting point is the family.  The Pope approaches the topic through the arguments which the Chief Rabbi of France Gilles Bernheim made in defense of the traditional family. Bernheim also sent to the French President François Hollande a 25 pages brief, to explain all the reasons why he and his community are against «marriages for all».  The Pope states: before, the family was in crisis due to a misconception of freedom; today, the very idea of man is in crisis.

This crisis has a specific name: gender.  It is at the same time a neutral and lethal name, as is much of the new «vocabulary» promoted in United Nations documents and continuously denounced by Holy See officials.

Gender points to the human being that calls his own nature into question. «He – the Pope says, drawing on German idealism philosophy – is now only spirit and will.  The manipulation of nature, which we deplore today where our environment is concerned, now becomes man’s fundamental choice where he himself is concerned.  Nowadays, there is only the abstract human being, who chooses for himself what his nature is to be». If there is no more duality, if human being loses his identity, there is no more family.  «When the freedom to be creative – Benedict XVI notes, with Bernehim – becomes the freedom to create oneself, then necessarily the Maker himself is denied and ultimately man too is stripped of his dignity as a creature of God, as the image of God at the core of his being.  The defence of the family is about man himself.  And it becomes clear that when God is denied, human dignity also disappears.  Whoever defends God is defending man.»

Defending man is the Church’s mission, and integral humanism is the Holy See’s International agenda. This agenda is the basis of the dialogue with states, with societies and with religions. The Church’s– the Pope notes – makes memory part of herself, because «human culture, of which she is a guarantee, has developed from the encounter between divine revelation and human existence.  The Church represents the memory of what it means to be human in the face of a civilization of forgetfulness, which knows only itself and its own criteria.  Yet just as an individual without memory has lost his identity, so too a human race without memory would lose its identity».  And Benedict XVI concludes: «In its dialogue with the state and with society, the Church does not, of course, have ready answers for individual questions.  Along with other forces in society, she will wrestle for the answers that best correspond to the truth of the human condition.»

For what concerns interreligious dialogue, the Pope states that the dialogue does not take place on theological grounds, but on practical and cultural grounds, in order not to lose one’s own identity. How to engage in dialogue? «Dialogue – Benedict XVI says – does not aim at conversion, but at better mutual understanding: that is correct.  But all the same, the search for knowledge and understanding always has to involve drawing closer to the truth. »

And truth is Christ himself, and «both sides in this piece-by-piece approach to truth are therefore on the path that leads forward and towards greater commonality, brought about by the oneness of the truth.» This is also one of the main themes of the first Benedict XVI’s message for the World Day of Peace, meaningfully titled In truth, peace. «Being inwardly held by the hand of Christ – the Pontiff says – makes us free and keeps us safe: free – because if we are held by him, we can enter openly and fearlessly into any dialogue;  safe – because he does not let go of us, unless we cut ourselves off from him.  At one with him, we stand in the light of truth.»

What constitutes the good news, then? Benedict XVI points us to the Gospel passage where Andrew and Simon follow Jesus. Both of them are seekers, and that is why «stimulated by the proclamation, their seeking becomes concrete.» The Pope then explains the proclamation is «effective in situations where man is listening in readiness for God to draw near, where man is inwardly searching and thus on the way towards the Lord.»  The Pope’s wish for Christmas, which is also the agenda for next decades, is to know Jesus better, because as one «walks with Jesus, he is led to the place where Jesus lives, to the community of the Church, which is his body.  That means entering into the journeying community of catechumens, a community of both learning and living, in which our eyes are opened as we walk.»

In the end, it is the same agenda of little Ratzinger. He asked for a Schott as a Christmas gift, a book of liturgies, to lock himself in step with Jesus, starting a long walk in life that brought him to the Papacy.