The Pope’s Personality
Henry speaking to you today. Sunday was the anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul 11. There have been tremendous crowds in St. Peter’s Square, and special services celebrating this occasion.
He was a remarkable person and made a considerable mark on the modern world. There have been endless articles written about him during his lifetime and new books arriving in bookstores since his death. He was certainly the most traveled pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. He seemed to be eager to meet new people and travel to new countries. What interests me about him though is not so much his role in the church or politics but in his type of personality. Judging him by his public face, he seems to be a typical major extrovert.
He may not, however, been an extrovert at all. Reports from Vatican officials said that he tended to be very quiet and subdued when not in the public eye. This is typical behavior of an introvert. They can get up the energy to deal with the world if they have enough time to recharge the batteries in private time and a private place.
This reminds me of Jonnie Carson. For many years he dominated the late night comedy scene on TV and in fact, some people say that he initiated it. At his death, loving friends said the he was very shy and retiring when not in the spotlight – a true introvert. Many introverts have the same pattern in their lives. Many actors are introverts, as they have to reach inside to their inner world to find the characters they need to play. Interestingly John Paul, as a young man was an actor and, like Carson, he was clearly a deeply quiet person