By Carl E. Olson

Gate for his sheep

As Pope Benedict XVI well knows, salvation comes only through our shepherd -- Jesus

A recent article in a major newspaper declared that Pope Benedict XVI is still a "mystery" three years into his pontificate. He remains, the reporter wrote, "something of a white-robed enigma to most Americans -- including Catholics."

To which I say maybe most Americans, especially Catholics, should pay better attention. If they did, the "mystery" of the Holy Father would be solved. And, in fact, one Catholic author correctly noted that the pope "doesn't want the pope to be the object of people's faith or veneration. He wants that to be Jesus."

Anyone who has spent some time reading the homilies, books and essays of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger knows how focused on Jesus Christ he is. I wonder: If reporters had been in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago during the feast of Pentecost, how might they have described the person and sermon of Peter? I suspect many would have been horrified at how exclusive and dogmatic he was in his pronouncements: "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

And what of Peter's bold call for those listening to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins? Clearly, Peter (the reporters might explain) would need to learn how to be more politically adept, sensitive to the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds of those present on that dramatic day. But, no, Peter simply said his piece: "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." How strange. How mysterious! And how powerful, for Luke notes that about 3,000 people were baptized that day.

In 2000, the document Dominus Iesus ("On the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church"), issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, upset many people because it upheld the Gospel uttered by Peter and the other apostles, albeit in a more elaborate and involved manner. Yet the document was quite direct in its language:

"From the beginning, the community of believers has recognized in Jesus a salvific value such that he alone, as Son of God made man, crucified and risen, by the mission received from the Father and in the power of the Holy Spirit, bestows revelation (cf. Mt 11:27) and divine life (cf. Jn 1:12; 5:25-26; 17:2) to all humanity and to every person" (No. 15).

The document further stated that "the truth of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Lord and only Saviour" -- including his incarnation, death, resurrection and gift of salvation -- "must be firmly believed as a constant element of the Church's faith" (No. 13). The man responsible for that document was, of course, Cardinal Ratzinger.

If these statements were merely the creations of power-hungry leaders or confused men, they would indeed be pitiful, ridiculous and false. But if they are true, they demand a simple response: acceptance or rejection.

Jesus, in today's Gospel, explains that he is the gate for the sheep and that "whoever enters through me will be saved." There are thieves and robbers who will attempt to steal the sheep -- including men who will say that Jesus was just a good man, a fine teacher or a political activist. But Jesus claimed to have power over life and death, as well as the power to judge souls. He left no doubt about his unique, supernatural character.

It is sometimes said that religion should unite people. This is misleading. Only true religion can unite people because it has the power to divide truth from falsehood. Jesus, who is Truth, causes such division, and in dividing he unites those who follow him. Mysterious? Yes, but only to those who wander outside the gate, without a shepherd.

Carl E. Olson is the editor of IgnatiusInsight.com.