Pope Leo, Pope Francis never took holidays. It became a pet peeve of mine. I felt that he was giving bad example and reinforcing the kind of culture where people could never truly relax.
He did reduce his number of work commitments and make time for meeting and corresponding with friends in the summer. However, he did not continue the papal tradition of going to Castel Gandolfo near Lake Albano.
Solidarity
I was humbled to discover that part of his motivation was to be in solidarity with people who can never afford to take holidays. In an Angelus address in 2017, he entrusted these people to Our Lady, especially those who “cannot go on holiday due to impediments of age, to reasons of health or of work, to economic restrictions or other problems.”
The Italian newspaper Il Giornale in June described Pope Francis’ attitude to not taking holidays as “useless pauperism”.
If Pope Francis was sacrificing his own holiday time in solidarity with those who cannot afford holidays, that is not useless pauperism, but praiseworthy.
There is now an assumption that it is OK to send emails or texts very late in the evening, and I am guilty of it myself”
It is a good reminder that not everyone can afford to take holidays. It is not people’s fault that contemporary culture often makes it difficult, as a kind of cult of productivity is everywhere.
Nonetheless, the kind of blurring between work and rest that afflicts so many of us is still not a good thing. The right to disconnect, that is, not to open or respond to communications outside work hours, is an attempt to redress the balance.
There is now an assumption that it is OK to send emails or texts very late in the evening, and I am guilty of it myself. (Sometimes it is because I click ‘send’ instead of ‘schedule send’, and sometimes it is thoughtlessness.)
Pandemic
The pandemic and increased numbers working from home have also blurred the barriers between work and home. It is too easy to check emails on our phones or sneak upstairs to work for a short while.
Dolly Parton’s 1980 song, “Working Nine to Five”, is an anthem for all those working in unsatisfying jobs. The singer adopts the persona of a woman who receives little appreciation, but whose work fills a rich man’s wallet.
Nowadays, the idea of only working the hours between nine and five seems idyllic to many. Women, in particular, are penalised for not putting in long hours. They may leave the office at the official finishing time, but it is seen as a lack of commitment.
The gig economy forces many to take work whenever it presents itself, no matter how many hours are involved, because it is unclear where the next work will come from.
Was that an out-of-touch embrace of luxury, or simply appreciation of a gift that would enable him to be a healthier pontiff?”
Where does that leave holidays? More necessary and less guaranteed than ever. That is why I am glad to see Pope Leo go to Castel Gandolfo and that he is reported to be installing a tennis court.
St Pope John Paul became Pope when he was eleven years younger than Pope Leo is today. Canadian Catholics paid for a pool for John Paul to swim in, and he made regular use of it.
Was that an out-of-touch embrace of luxury, or simply appreciation of a gift that would enable him to be a healthier pontiff? I am inclined to think it was the latter.
It was good of Pope Francis to sacrifice his holidays in solidarity with the poor, but it is also good when popes model the ability to switch off. Holidays are important, although I am not suggesting that they can solve all our problems.
Threats
We live in an era where we are constantly hypervigilant, scanning the world for threats. We have volatile world leaders and terrifying evidence of war presented to us daily on our small screens.
We cannot rely solely on holidays to undo that stress. We have to consciously embrace a stance towards life that allows our overtaxed nervous systems to relax. Paradoxically, relinquishing control is an essential first step.
The Serenity Prayer remains eternally relevant. It calls for us to accept the things we cannot change, to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
We cannot change the terrible state of the world. Sometimes, we cannot even change the terrible state of our families or our health. This is where being a Christian differs from self-optimisation.
The truth is that our lives will always furnish us with shocks and challenges”
The cult of self-optimisation sells the lie that if we use enough life hacks, change our habits, and prioritise our health, or even take enough holidays, we will somehow arrive at a place of permanent happiness.
The truth is that our lives will always furnish us with shocks and challenges. Nonetheless, by accepting that we are finite, not the creator but creatures, we can humbly pray to accept the gift of peace from God that self-optimisation hacks will never grant us.
Pope Leo takes a holiday
Pope Leo, Pope Francis never took holidays. It became a pet peeve of mine. I felt that he was giving bad example and reinforcing the kind of culture where people could never truly relax.
He did reduce his number of work commitments and make time for meeting and corresponding with friends in the summer. However, he did not continue the papal tradition of going to Castel Gandolfo near Lake Albano.
Solidarity
I was humbled to discover that part of his motivation was to be in solidarity with people who can never afford to take holidays. In an Angelus address in 2017, he entrusted these people to Our Lady, especially those who “cannot go on holiday due to impediments of age, to reasons of health or of work, to economic restrictions or other problems.”
The Italian newspaper Il Giornale in June described Pope Francis’ attitude to not taking holidays as “useless pauperism”.
If Pope Francis was sacrificing his own holiday time in solidarity with those who cannot afford holidays, that is not useless pauperism, but praiseworthy.
It is a good reminder that not everyone can afford to take holidays. It is not people’s fault that contemporary culture often makes it difficult, as a kind of cult of productivity is everywhere.
Nonetheless, the kind of blurring between work and rest that afflicts so many of us is still not a good thing. The right to disconnect, that is, not to open or respond to communications outside work hours, is an attempt to redress the balance.
There is now an assumption that it is OK to send emails or texts very late in the evening, and I am guilty of it myself. (Sometimes it is because I click ‘send’ instead of ‘schedule send’, and sometimes it is thoughtlessness.)
Pandemic
The pandemic and increased numbers working from home have also blurred the barriers between work and home. It is too easy to check emails on our phones or sneak upstairs to work for a short while.
Dolly Parton’s 1980 song, “Working Nine to Five”, is an anthem for all those working in unsatisfying jobs. The singer adopts the persona of a woman who receives little appreciation, but whose work fills a rich man’s wallet.
Nowadays, the idea of only working the hours between nine and five seems idyllic to many. Women, in particular, are penalised for not putting in long hours. They may leave the office at the official finishing time, but it is seen as a lack of commitment.
The gig economy forces many to take work whenever it presents itself, no matter how many hours are involved, because it is unclear where the next work will come from.
Where does that leave holidays? More necessary and less guaranteed than ever. That is why I am glad to see Pope Leo go to Castel Gandolfo and that he is reported to be installing a tennis court.
St Pope John Paul became Pope when he was eleven years younger than Pope Leo is today. Canadian Catholics paid for a pool for John Paul to swim in, and he made regular use of it.
Was that an out-of-touch embrace of luxury, or simply appreciation of a gift that would enable him to be a healthier pontiff? I am inclined to think it was the latter.
It was good of Pope Francis to sacrifice his holidays in solidarity with the poor, but it is also good when popes model the ability to switch off. Holidays are important, although I am not suggesting that they can solve all our problems.
Threats
We live in an era where we are constantly hypervigilant, scanning the world for threats. We have volatile world leaders and terrifying evidence of war presented to us daily on our small screens.
We cannot rely solely on holidays to undo that stress. We have to consciously embrace a stance towards life that allows our overtaxed nervous systems to relax. Paradoxically, relinquishing control is an essential first step.
The Serenity Prayer remains eternally relevant. It calls for us to accept the things we cannot change, to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
We cannot change the terrible state of the world. Sometimes, we cannot even change the terrible state of our families or our health. This is where being a Christian differs from self-optimisation.
The cult of self-optimisation sells the lie that if we use enough life hacks, change our habits, and prioritise our health, or even take enough holidays, we will somehow arrive at a place of permanent happiness.
The truth is that our lives will always furnish us with shocks and challenges. Nonetheless, by accepting that we are finite, not the creator but creatures, we can humbly pray to accept the gift of peace from God that self-optimisation hacks will never grant us.
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