Sitting hunched forward, facing
an also-hunched-forward and very intense President Zelensky of Ukraine, both
men’s unadorned chairs being surrounded by bald yet beautiful marble-floor in
St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican just before the funeral of Pope Francis, U.S.
President Trump sought to close a deal that would end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Pope Francis would have been proud. Perhaps the pope, who had tirelessly
preached an end to the militarized aggression not only in Ukraine, but also in
Gaza, would have been even more proud had Russian President Putin been there
too, hunched forward with his rivals to make peace, but that president was
wanted by the International Criminal Court on allegations of having committed
war crimes in Ukraine. Enemies making peace, and even extending in acts of
compassion are necessary to gaining access into the kingdom of God, as preached
by Jesus Christ in the Gospel faith-narratives.
The full essay is at "Peacemaking and Hierarchy."
