Hello. I'm Seàn-Patrick Lovett.
The Ancient Romans had a word for everything. The words were in Latin, of course, but many of them
still sound familiar and their meaning continues to resonate with us today.
Take “Pontifex Maximus”, for instance. It was the Romans’ favorite title for their Emperor. You can see the
words in their abbreviated form, “Pont. Max.”, plastered all over the ruins in the Roman Forum. Stone
carving was expensive even back then and the Ancient Romans were notoriously clever at cutting
corners.
But they took the meaning of the title quite literally: the Emperor was the “maximus”, or “major pontifex”,
the “bestest bridge-builder” – insofar as one of his main responsibilities was to keep bridges and roads in
good repair. Not out of any sense of public piety, but because if there was trouble anywhere in the
empire, he could unleash his legions and send them out over those well-kept bridges and roads to deal
with it.
Building bridges also meant staying connected with the farthest-flung corners of the largest empire in the
history of the world. It meant keeping the lines of communication and trade open. A lot like today's
internet digital highways.
You get where I’m going with this by now – because you already know that the popes adopted the same
title many centuries ago and made it their own. For a pope, being a Pont. Max. (I’m sorry, a “Pontifex
Maximus”), meant building bridges between Earth and Heaven. Nowadays, the title means so much
more.
When Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square for the first time, he
used the bridge-building metaphor not once, but twice. He invited us to work together “…to build bridges
through dialogue and encounter”. Looking out onto St. Peter's Square – which isn't a square at all, but
more like an embrace – the Pope said we need to build a Church that is “open to welcoming”.
It’s becoming very clear that’s exactly how Pope Leo XIV sees himself: as a bridge-builder in a fractured
and divided world, repairing relationships and bringing people together.
It reminds me of this year's World Day of Communications message. That too emphasizes the power of
building bridges in a world characterized by division. The message invites all of us to spread what it calls
“a culture of care, to build bridges and break down the visible and invisible barriers of the present time.
Confidentially-speaking, if you choose to take that invitation seriously, you could end up being a
“pontifex” too.
