{"id":80352,"date":"2019-04-16T16:28:37","date_gmt":"2019-04-16T20:28:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=80352"},"modified":"2019-04-16T18:39:41","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T22:39:41","slug":"telegraph-charles-moore-what-can-happen-when-a-pope-kisses-your-feet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=80352","title":{"rendered":"(Telegraph) Charles Moore–What can happen when a Pope kisses your feet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I<\/span>t was moving to watch Pope Francis kiss the feet (or, to be absolutely accurate, the shoes) of the warring leaders of South Sudan last week<\/a>. In human terms, it was particularly touching because the Pope is an old man, so his physical effort added to the gesture of humility.<\/p>\n

As it happens, I met one of those leaders, Riek Machar, when I visited South Sudan a few years ago. Despite holding a PhD in \u201cPhilosophy and Strategic Planning\u201d from the University of Bradford, he is something of a rough diamond. I would not have risked kissing his feet myself. But that, of course, is only \u2028the more reason for Pope Francis \u2028to have done so: great sinners have great need.<\/p>\n

The story of South Sudan shows how much divine help is required. \u2028At the time I met Dr Machar, his country had just emerged from many years of tyranny under the government of North Sudan \u2013 whose appalling ruler, Omar al-Bashir, was finally removed in a coup last week after 30 years of wrongdoing. South Sudan thus became a place enjoying new freedom.<\/p>\n

That feeling came partly from the fact that it is mainly Christian: the Khartoum government which oppressed it had once harboured Osama bin Laden. It was run by extreme Islamists who persecuted Christians. So when the leaders of this new Christian country later turned on one another and began killing, this represented spiritual as well as political failure.<\/p>\n

Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Pope Francis kissed the feet of South Sudan\u2019s political leaders to conclude an #ecumenical<\/a> spiritual retreat co-led by the Archbishop of Canterbury.#AnglicanNews<\/a> #Anglican<\/a> #Anglicans<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/V6C57cBCXV<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Anglican Communion News Service (@AnglicanNews) April 12, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n