TIM MANNELLO

Williamsport

In first century Palestine, women were relegated to the margins of society; the poor were marginalized; tax collectors and sinners were despised; lepers were shunned and forced to live outside populated communities; Samaritans were thought of and treated with contempt; the sick and the disabled were viewed as being punished for their sins or the sins of their parents; and children were pretty much overlooked and considered unimportant. These were the outcasts of society when Jesus walked the earth. Jesus showed special love for all of them. And for doing so, he incurred the hatred and anger of many of his contemporaries.

In modern society, the homeless face stigma, discrimination and exclusion; asylum seekers and refugees meet legal barriers to employment and healthcare; the poor are thought of as free-loaders; LGBTQ are victimized by discriminatory laws, social stigma, and hatred; ethnic minorities are subjected to prejudice and inequalities; individuals with disabilities encounter barriers that keep them from fully participating fully in society; the mentally ill are often discriminated against in social settings. These are the outcasts of today’s world.

Like Jesus and his namesake, St. Francis, Pope Francis showed a special love for outcasts, and for doing so, he incurred the hatred and anger of many of his contemporaries.

At the moment of Francis’ passing, I like to think the Lord whispered this to him: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s happiness.”