Meeting Pope Francis described as a ‘surreal experience’

Pope Francis has expressed interest in the katekita (Maori catechists), as well as in how the ministry to Maori is being undertaken in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Auckland Vicar for Maori Manuel Beazley said that it was “quite a surreal experience” talking to the Pope at the Vatican, during the synod meeting in October.

“My first meeting with him was quite brief. I spoke to him in Italian as best I could, and it was more a general sort of thing. ‘[ I said]  I’m from New Zealand’ and he said, ‘oh it’s a long way’,” Mr Beazley said.

As the assembly went on, he said, the conversations became more involved. At one point, he brought some crucifixes that he bought in Rome, and asked the Pope to bless them.

“When I said to him, ‘these are for our Maori catechists in New Zealand’, he was quite interested about the whole ministry of the katekita, the catechists here,” Mr Beazley said.

He said that the Pope then asked him how the Church in New Zealand is engaging with Indigenous people.

“I told him of the work that has been done in the bishops’ conference, where we now have a Maori group that meets with the bishops at their conference meeting, and he was interested in that, too. And he commended us, really, because that’s synodality in action. Hearing the voices of people,” Mr Beazley said.

Mr Beazley marvelled at how Pope Francis made himself available to everyone at the synod.

“Through the course of the month, he must have spoken with so many of the participants. And every time he did, you could see that he was fully engaged with whoever was in front of him, no matter how many of us tried to clamour for his attention each day. He was very generous with his time,” he noted.

He said that there was no fanfare when the Pope came to the hall.

“We could just be seated at a table and talking, and you turn and he’d be there. He’d just come through the side door and there was no announcement or anything,” he said.

For the most part, the Pope would be wheeled by his attendants into the hall, although the Pope would sometimes stand and walk a few steps. However, Mr Beazley observed that there were no bodyguards to keep people at bay.

“People were free to approach him when there was a space,” Mr Beazley said. “One of the things I found quite lovely was, he’s physically frail, but whenever he was with people, his eyes would light up. He was very, very happy to receive people.”

Wellington Archbishop Paul Martin SM, who lived in the same house as Pope Francis during the synod, made the same observation.

“He is not very mobile, but he comes alive when people talk with him, it is very inspiring to see him in these moments. I cannot help but marvel at the faith and hope he shows, as he leads the Church with all that is going on and at a somewhat advanced age,” said the archbishop in a newsletter, as he asked the faithful to keep the Holy Father in their prayers.