Dan Russo
Editorial
Bishop William E. Franklin served as the head of the Diocese of Davenport from 1994-2006. He has a conference room named after him on the third floor of the St. Vincent Center, where a picture of him greets today’s chancery staff as they enter. He died on April 10 at 95. Benjamin Franklin, a scientist and civic leader who helped found the United States, has his portrait on the $100 bill. He died on April 17, 1790, at 84. The bishop will have his funeral Mass this week and a movie featuring the famous Philadelphia printer was released earlier this month, just in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary. Both men share the same last name, yet are very different. What can we learn from their lives?
Two qualities that stands out about Franklin the bishop are his humility and sense of gratitude. When the conference room bearing his name was dedicated in 2012, Bishop Franklin told those gathered about the emergency baptism that happened the day he entered the world. As a newborn, his parents weren’t sure he’d survive.
“God’s gift for me began on the day I was born, May 3, 1930,” Bishop Franklin said, according to an article from The Catholic Messenger. The bishop said he might have kept working in a machine shop in Cedar Rapids, but someone suggested he ought to consider the priesthood.
He advised the staff at the time that “God works through you. When you go to bed and before you go to sleep, say ‘Thank you, God, for allowing me to be your missionary.’”
Bishop Franklin thanked the staff for honoring him, but more importantly, he said, “thanks to you, my love for the Catholic Church didn’t end with my ordination.”
Born to a working class family in the small town of Parnell at the beginning of the Great Depression, Bishop Franklin rose to the top of Church leadership. He never seemed to forget his humble beginnings and never took for granted the gift of his life. He led the diocese through some of its toughest times, including the fallout from the clergy sex abuse scandal and declaration of bankruptcy. Despite many challenges, he was able to keep going. It’s one thing to find love in one’s life, which the bishop experienced through his vocation. It’s quite another to be able to keep that fire burning. Bishop Franklin did. It’s worth remembering his example.
Now on to the other Franklin. Born in the colony of Massachusetts, Ben Franklin grew up in a Puritan home where he had a strained relationship with his overbearing father. After serving as an apprentice in his older brother’s print shop where his sibling often beat and insulted him, Franklin ran away at 17 to Philadelphia. By his early 40s, he had risen from poverty to the upper-middle class. He dedicated the rest of his life to science and public service. The film “A Great Awakening,” tells the story of the real-life friendship between Franklin and Protestant preacher George Whitefield. As a deist, Franklin believed in one God, but was not Christian. He said “the most acceptable Service we are to render (God), is doing Good to his other Children.” He focused on inventing useful things that improved the material conditions of people. He did not seek patents and gave the technology away for free. He also donated the salaries he received for his public service. He was willing to listen to others with different beliefs and change his mind when convinced. For example, he altered his views on slavery, going from tolerating the practice as a young man to becoming a staunch abolitionist by the time he reached his final years. Franklin put his life on the line to support the American Revolution. At age 70, in poor health, he took a treacherous sea voyage to France and helped secure an alliance there that made victory possible.
As Catholics, we can appreciate how Franklin pursued good works to serve his conception of God. He seemed to remain skeptical of Christianity due to the inconsistencies and pride he saw in his father and other believers. This reminds us that if we hope to evangelize, it is important to live out our faith with sincerity and to admit mistakes with humility. Bishop Franklin attempted to do this. If the bishop and Benjamin met, they’d probably hit it off. It’s safe to assume a guy who began his career in a machine shop would find common ground with one who started in a print shop. Whether the bishop could convince Ben to give Christ a chance, God only knows.
Dan Russo, editor
