I was eating lunch on Thursday when the word came out: the Roman Catholic Church has a new pope. And not just any pope – a pope from the United States, something many thought would never happen.
That news dominated the rest of my Thursday. I did some internet research on Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago (and of Peru), now Pope Leo XIV. I read what people who follow such things closely had to say. I looked up Leo XIII to get an idea of what Cardinal Prevost was thinking when he took his new name. I even wrote a brief social media post (here and here) to remind Pagans and others that even though no true progressive will ever be elected pope, Leo will be more like Francis and less like Benedict, and that’s a good thing.
And then it was time for my evening prayers.
I am a Pagan
I faced my altar and saw the statues of Cernunnos, Danu, the Morrigan, Brighid, and Lugh. I looked at the shrine with the statues of Isis, Thoth, and Cerridwen. I pray to all of them every night.
I went through the brief scripted opening of my evening prayers, and then I began the extemporaneous portion. I mentioned the good things that happened that day, the things I’m thankful for, and the things I’m working on that could use their assistance. And then I said:
“I am thankful that you are not jealous Gods. I wish the new pope well, but I am thankful I found this Pagan path that means so much to me. Here I have found meaning, comfort, and purpose. And I like y’all.”
I’m pretty sure I heard a laugh – or several laughs – from somewhere deep in the mists.
A lifelong fascination with the Catholic Church
I’ve always been fascinated by the Catholic Church. I didn’t just grow up Baptist, I grew up in a small, plain, Baptist church where the preacher hadn’t graduated from high school. There was no beauty, no mystery, no sense of wonder and awe. Just “preachin’ prayin’ and singin’” that went on for far too long.
They taught that Catholics were at best “confused” and at worst were a “false religion.” But one of my uncles married a Catholic and converted, and they raised their children – my cousins – Catholic. My father was always respectful of their religion, and I picked up on that. And even at a young age, I knew enough history to understand that the history of Christianity is largely the history of the Catholic Church.
For me, the Catholics were everything the Baptists weren’t… in a “the grass is always greener” sort of way. What I wouldn’t realize until I was older was that their theology was just as bad, their politics were better on some issues but worse on others, and they were just as bad at insisting that their way was the only way.
Fun fact: for all my religious curiosity and exploration, I’ve never been to a Catholic mass. I’ve seen them on TV and the internet, although I don’t think I’ve ever watched one from start to finish. But I’ve never seen one in person. I keep meaning to go just to check it off the list, and I keep not doing it. Which probably means I don’t really want to do it.
If I thought the Catholics were right I’d be a Catholic
If I thought the Catholic Church had The Truth, I’d be a Catholic. If I thought the Catholic Church had the best approximation of The Truth, I’d be a Catholic. If the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church called to my soul, I’d be a Catholic. And if I just wanted to be a Catholic, I’d be a Catholic.
None of these things are true, and so I’m a Pagan.
That doesn’t mean I don’t still have a fascination with the Catholic Church, and at times some envy. It’s like the American fascination with the British monarchy – it’s nice to look at, from a safe distance.
And at the end of the day I’m still a Pagan.
I’m envious of the Catholic Church’s long unbroken tradition
Leo XIV is the 267th pope, in a line stretching back to the Apostle Peter. The history of the early years may be a little murky, and there’s the issue of the split papacy in the Middle Ages, but the Catholic Church has 2000 years of unbroken tradition. That’s a powerful thing.
Meanwhile, modern Druidry is 300 years old, and Ross Nichols’ line of Chief Druids going back to John Toland in 1717 is more apocryphal than historical. We can debate whether Gerald Gardner invented Wicca or just publicized it, but in any case it’s less than 100 years old. Cultural survivals of ancient Pagan practices do exist, but their religious significance has been lost.
So we’re starting over. Have started over. And while we’re inspired by the beliefs and practices of our pre-Christian ancestors, we are free to build a religion (or many religions) that speak to us here and now. And because we don’t have 2000 years of unbroken tradition, it’s a lot harder for us to mistake ancient cultural norms for eternal truths – especially when it comes to things like gender equality and acceptance of LGBTQ people.
I’m envious of the Catholic Church’s unbroken tradition, but like so many things we envy, I’m better off without it.
I’m envious of the Catholic Church’s infrastructure
I visited Italy last month, where I toured several Catholic churches that are centuries old. They’re beautiful, and some of them are still places of power.
More importantly, there are 80 Catholic churches in the Diocese of Dallas, including 10 that are closer to me than my own Unitarian Universalist church. Go anywhere in Europe or the Americas and you can find a Catholic church, likely one that’s close to you.
When you do find one, you’ll find it has a priest, staff, and a regular schedule of services and programs.
As Pagans, we don’t have that. I’m happy that I have the opportunity to help provide public seasonal celebrations through Denton CUUPS, but we are one small group that’s pretty much on its own. I’m preparing for a long distance move in a few years and I know where I can find a UU church, but I’m going to have to hunt for a Pagan group (and I’m too old to start one).
I really am envious of Catholic infrastructure. At the same time, infrastructure can become a burden, and it can lead to prioritizing protecting the institution instead of serving its Gods and its people.
Our first priority as Pagans has to be building robust and healthy religious traditions. The infrastructure will follow in its own time.
I’m envious of the Catholic Church’s cultural and political power
The Catholic Church’s temporal power is a tiny fraction of what it once was. The Papal States once covered a substantial part of Italy – now they’re reduced to the 109 acres of Vatican City. The days when a pope could make a king beg forgiveness are long gone. Today’s Catholic Church can’t compel its own members to follow its teachings on birth control – or on caring for the poor.
At the same time, the Catholic Church and its pope still have a huge influence on politics and culture. If the pope says something, at the least people will take it seriously and consider it. They’ll talk about it.
Pagans have much less influence. And let’s not confused by those who call people they don’t like “pagan” when they mean “irreligious.”
But Pagans have cultural power too
The stories of our pre-Christian ancestors – especially the Greeks and Romans – remain in Western culture. Mainstream entertainment still tells the stories of Hercules, Zeus, Hades and Persephone, Odin and Thor. They may “modernize” them, but their names and their persons are still there.
I often tell ancient stories of Lugh, the Morrigan, and Cerridwen. If we keep telling them, they’ll make their way into the wider culture too.
And the Gods are still speaking to us, if we will listen. Cernunnos has no ancient lore, but enough people have experienced him in our time that he now has his own devotional anthology.
Culture is built from the ground up. If we tell our stories, sing our songs, celebrate our holy days, and work our magic, Pagan culture will thrive.
Paganism is intuitive religion
And it’s not just the Gods, as important as they are. People around the world are coming to understand that Nature is not “fallen” but rather sacred. Or in some cases, they’re expressing the sacredness their cultures and traditions have taught for millennia.
Christianity and other monotheistic religions have to be taught and constantly reinforced. But we need no preachers to tell us there is power in sunrise and sunset, in bathing in the light of the full moon, in marking and celebrating the changing seasons.
When we stop trying to pretend that life is all about us and pay attention to what’s going on around us, we see that other living things are not things but persons, with whom we can form relationships.
When we accept that actions have consequences and that all of us are connected at one level or another, virtues like hospitality and reciprocity, perseverance and heroism become obvious. We need not live our lives by someone else’s rules, but rather in accordance with the virtues that make life better for ourselves and for the world at large.
I’m happy being a Pagan
I am envious of what the Catholic Church has, but envy is no way to choose a religion.
What we have as Pagans, Druids, witches, and followers of other traditions isn’t just enough, it’s filled with abundance. We have our Gods and ancestors, our stories and songs, our virtues and values, and all we receive from the Earth our Mother. We have our philosophies and theologies (our Pagan ancestors invented both) and we have magic (which Christianity hasn’t been able to wipe out even though it’s tried, often violently).
And so I wish Pope Leo XIV well. I trust he will lead his church in a direction of compassion and service, and I hope the world’s Catholics – especially those in positions of power – will listen to him. Ultimately, though, what the Catholic Church will be is for Catholics to decide.
As for me, I’m going to be the best Pagan, Druid, and witch I can be. This is my calling – this is my path. I’m happy here, and so here I will stay.
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