Dear St. Rita Families,
The papal conclave begins this coming Wednesday, and the whole world will be watching with eager anticipation of the outcome. Don’t let anyone tell you the Catholic Church is irrelevant in the modern world. The fact that China decided to unilaterally ‘elect’ two bishops in this interregnum period indicates that they know that the identity of next pope is of consequence to them. Likewise, the size of the papal funeral (400,000 people) is just a small sign of what the papacy means to the Church. And of course, the amount of commentary and speculation generated by these happenings in the Church further points to its importance.
Catholics have no problem recognizing this truth for themselves. The Holy Father is the Vicar of Christ on earth, the successor of St. Peter himself, the only bishop whose ecclesial lineage goes back directly to a particular Apostle. Each of the others is rightly termed a “successor of the Apostles” (plural). It is imperative, then, that you and I are praying for the Cardinals involved in the conclave, because the future not only of the Church but of the world will be greatly affected by the next Holy Father.
While it is a fairly common statement that “the Holy Spirit chooses the pope,” this statement doesn’t accurately reflect how God works in His Church. If it were true that the Spirit directly picks out each pope, not only would He have a LOT of explaining to do for some particularly immoral men (e.g. Alexander VI and John XII, among others), it would seem that He would be forcing the hands of the Cardinals, rather than allowing them free will. In other words, the election of the pope isn’t a magical thing that happens in the Sistene Chapel. The Holy Spirit is certainly calling each member of the conclave in a particular direction, but the Cardinals have the ability to choose well or poorly in response to that Grace – just like you and I do. On a larger scale, the Holy Spirit is guiding the whole Church as well, such that even when we don’t respond well to His Grace, God’s final purposes are not stymied. Thus, in small things and in large ones, God writes straight with crooked lines.
All this is to say that we should not assume anything for the conclave. Pray well, and ask Our Lord for a holy pope who will lead the Church according to His Will. The papacy is a huge responsibility, and we all desire to support the next pope and to love him. We likewise desire that he faithfully carry out his charge as Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, and Servant of the Servants of God. To that end, it is important that we pray!
Our fidelity to the Holy Father, whoever he may be, does not mean that we agree with whatever pastoral or political decision he makes according to his prudential judgment. It means, rather, that we reverence him as Vicar of Christ, the Holy Father, the bearer of Christ’s promise to St. Peter that the gates of Hell will not prevail (Mt 16:18) and of the power to bind and loose (v. 19). We desire that he faithfully preach the Gospel and carry out the mission given him by God. We use our prayer, our love, and our support to assist him in this way. If we have the need to disagree with matters of prudential judgment, we do so respectfully, mindful of the honor due the Vicar of Christ and the dishonor we bring upon the Church of Christ if we disagree brashly and in a way that fractures. Keep in mind, too, that disagreement with matters of prudential judgment does not extend to matters of faith and morals, though one can remain united with another in matters of faith and morals while disagreeing with a prudential application in a situation of governance.
It is imperative to remember in this context that the Church is the Body of Christ. Christ the Head of the Body knows and hears the needs of His Body. Have confidence in Him, who is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pt 2:25). That Christ gives us a visible representation of His headship on earth (the pope) is a great grace and mercy. Otherwise, we would be like sheep without a shepherd (Mt 9:36) and would easily fall prey to every wind of human trickery (cf. Eph 4:14), perverting the doctrine of Christ to our destruction. Therefore, give thanks to God for the gift of the papacy! Pray for the Cardinals and the next Holy Father, and be resolved to support the Church, to love the Holy Father (even if he has defects) because he is your father, and to proclaim the Gospel of Christ unceasingly by your words and by your life!
In Christ,
Fr. Christensen