The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
COMMENT | Jane F Alowo | I must have missed this piece “The Empire In the Cathedral: Would Jesus recognize His Church?” during the mourning period for Pope Francis – May he continue to rest in peace. But, kindly allow me set the record straight where facts have been overstated or misunderstood. I will also highlight the deeper spiritual logic behind Catholic proceedings at the Pope’s funeral.
While it is important to reflect on the tension between Christ’s humble ministry and the perceived grandeur of the Pope’s funeral, the above critique contains several factual inaccuracies and overlooks the symbolic and historical roots of Catholic liturgy and governance.
The essay “The Empire In the Cathedral: Would Jesus recognize His Church?” mischaracterized the premise of World leaders at the funeral, asserting that “over 50 heads of state descended upon Rome,” implying a small, self-serving gathering.
First of all, Pope Francis’s funeral on 26 April 2025 was attended by 61 heads of state (not merely “over 50”) alongside 43 ministers‐level representatives (including Uganda’s Speaker and Deputy Speaker) 31 heads of government; totaling 135 top-level dignitaries and delegations from 126 of the 193 United Nations member states. Why? The Holy See is a sovereign entity with spiritual and diplomatic roles and thus sustains formal diplomatic relations with 183 states, maintaining 88 embassies to promote both its spiritual mission and humanitarian diplomacy.
These numbers place Pope Francis’s funeral among the most broadly attended in modern history, reflecting both respect for his papacy and the unique moral authority the Church wields on global challenges. It is accurate that the Vatican holds a unique diplomatic status, but that status serves concrete humanitarian and peace-building aims, not self-interest.
In addition to formal relations with 183 sovereign states, the Holy See has observer status at the United Nations. In Rome, 88 countries maintain embassies to the Holy See, each accredited not to Vatican City alone, but to the Pope’s universal pastoral mission.
With these diplomatic ties the Holy See leverages its sovereignty to “seek the peace of the city”- read world. (Jer 29:7) . Through this network, Popes have mediated conflicts, championed migrants, and convened global summits on climate, poverty, and human rights, demonstrating that temporal structures can serve spiritual ends. And so, while the essay projects the Church’s public ceremonies and the Pope’s funeral in particular as showing that it is at odds with the Gospel’s simplicity, a closer look shows that the Catholic church’s rich historical roots, theological purpose, and vast global ministry of education, healthcare, and charity truly “serves the least” (Matt 25:40).
Let’s have a look at how much the contribution of the Catholic Church aligns to Biblical teachings:
● The Catholic Church is the leading institution globally in the provision of education from kindergarten, through primary, secondary and higher education. This illustrates its unmatched commitment to accessible education for billions of people across the world and furthering research and social mobility, especially, in low-income regions and striving for SDG 4. This ensures “inclusive and equitable quality education” and upholds Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord” and as Proverbs 22:6 urges, “Train up a child in the way he should go.” Catholic schools integrate faith and reason, forming conscientious citizens and disciples as I’m sure many can attest.
● The Catholic Church takes a Leading Role in providing Global Healthcare and Social Services. The church provides healthcare facilities that include hospitals ( I digress a bit, please kindly support the renovation of St Anthony’s hospital Tororo) clinics, and elderly/disabled homes constituting 25–26 percent of the world’s healthcare, and demonstrating the Gospel’s care for body and soul .Closer to home, in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Catholic mission hospitals provide 40–70% of all medical services, often being the only accessible care in remote areas
Through the Church’s Orphanages and Elder Care, the church daily extends Christ’s preferential option for the poor upholding James 1:27: “Religion that is pure… is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction.”
HUMILITY
“The cappa magna does indeed represent the finery of the world, its power and prestige. That is why after his entrance wearing it, the prelate is publicly stripped of this finery and humbled before the congregation. Then, vestment by vestment, the bishop is clothed in… pic.twitter.com/qdUdgmhaxn
— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) May 1, 2025
Pope Francis, like every other human being, was buried according to the religious, cultural and social context around him ( Even we in Ugandan cultures are buried according to our own customs that may seem strange to others, unless we will otherwise).
The liturgical symbols and rituals at the Pope’s funeral go beyond pageantry. It is fair to ask whether incense and marble honour God or merely glorify human power?
In Catholic theology, however, external rites are “sacred signs… which express and nourish faith”. They are not secret rituals and are clearly explained in documents that are freely accessible * ( Sacrosanctum Concilium , sec. 1). Inviting the senses into prayer rather than distracting from it.
What appears as “empire” in vestments and processions is intended as an earthly participation in heavenly worship, a foretaste of the Kingdom that “surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:7).
Far from enforcing loyalty, these rituals aim to draw the faithful more deeply into a mystery that transcends any institution. Catholics understand them well, e.g. the meaning of the incense, the mitre, the Pope’s staff etc.
It is also the case with different cultures, that have practices that are significant to them and whose meaning only they seem to understand e.g the local custom of tying a cloth or banana fibre around the waist when mourning, keeping vigil around a fire. Someone from another culture may not understand unless it is explained to them
In the end, the tension between “marble and mitres” and “dusty sandals” (Luke 3:4) is resolved when every ritual and structure is measured by its fruit of mercy (Gal 5:22).
Jesus’s radical humility and the Church’s public rituals need not be opposed. Symbols and pageantry, when rightly understood, point beyond themselves to the invisible God. Structures of authority, when guided by Gospel values, become instruments of mercy and justice.
The choice the essay frames as “empire or spirit” is not an either/or but a call to ensure that every liturgical practice, every diplomatic engagement, and every act of governance remains at the service of Christ’s mission: to heal, to reconcile, and to proclaim that “the Kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:21).
Far from mere pageantry, the recent funeral of Pope Francis reflects broad respect for his moral leadership rather than secular ambition and The Holy See’s diplomatic status amplifies its humanitarian voice to heal, teach, and serve Christ in “the least of these.” In this, I believe the Catholic Church continues to bear good fruit and has effective mechanisms to correct itself when it swerves off course.
*****
Jane F Alowo is a consultant and researcher in Language, Culture, and Communication. She was until 2024 a Lecturer at Makerere University, Kampala – Uganda
