The author of “The Pope and the CEO” has a simple message for Catholics who work for organizations that promote a culture of death.
“I do not want you to quit, and I don’t think John Paul would want you to quit,” said Andreas Widmer, guest speaker at “Entrepreneurship at the Service of the Human Person: Celebrating the Dignity of Work,” presented by the diocesan Peace and Justice Commission at Nativity Catholic Church in Burke March 9.
Answering questions from moderator Alison Fram, founder and director of the Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America in Washington, Widmer described working as a Swiss Guard under Pope John Paul II and the lessons he learned from observing and interacting with a saint.
“To John Paul, it was very important that we don’t make saints out to be more than they are,” he said. “Everybody in this room, if you want to go to heaven, you’re made to be a saint. The reason why he proclaimed so many saints is because he wanted to inspire us. This is possible. It’s not just for the Middle Ages.”
Striving for sainthood for lay Catholics in business means figuring out a way to live and work in the secular world. “We’re not made to live in a bubble,” said Widmer. “We’re the leaven, so bring Christ in there.”
Seated during his hour-long conversation with Fram, the 6-foot-9-inch Widmer grew excited when challenging the sold-out audience packed into the Nativity School gym to follow the example of Pope John Paul II in the workplace.
“I asked the Lord for insight to know if I can be a Catholic businessman and it always led me back to John Paul II, to his understanding of the human person,” said Widmer.
“No, he did not levitate,” he added, emphasizing the late pontiff’s relatability. “I saw him get angry. He was a normal human being, and he’s a saint. It’s the same you’re called to be. All I can tell you is that he was the most human person I’ve ever met in my life.”
Widmer admits that when he signed up as a Swiss Guard, he was a nominal Catholic at best. But he soon recognized that Pope John Paul II was a model leader, who also happened to be modeling Christ.
“I was not John Paul’s best friend. I never sat down with him and had an extensive conversation with him,” he said. “But I always felt when he met me or walked by me, that I was the reason he got up in the morning.”
Extending the kind of love Pope John Paul II offered to others in modern corporate America is not possible without the sacraments, according to Widmer. “Know that when you receive the Eucharist you become a monstrance,” he said. “A sister once told me that if Jesus ever had a chance to get into that boardroom, it would have to be him wearing my jacket.”
“That part gave me chills,” said Catherine Antunes, a parishioner of St. John the Baptist in Front Royal. “Being a tabernacle for your workplace — that was beautiful.”
Prior to the dinner and conference, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated Mass and, in his homily, encouraged those at Nativity Church to not be ashamed to share the light of Christ. “We radiate the light of Christ when we bring his presence to those who need us the most,” he said. “Those suffering, those who are poor and those who are of no esteem.”
Widmer concedes that it’s not easy to model the love of Christ in a hostile work environment, but “a large portion of my reaction in a secular company is my being hurt because I want to be right,” he said. “If I take my emotion out of it, I could start to love. You don’t always know the change you’re making if you’re fighting with love.”
