As I write this column, the world is still mourning the loss of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. (I write these columns quite a few days before you read them on Sunday because of printing deadlines.) Certainly his passing overnight after Easter Sunday seems poetic in many ways, underscoring his faith in the Resurrection of Our Lord. I hope we all share that same faith in everlasting life and that we’re united in praying for his eternal rest.
Of course, after we mourn his passing, the focus then shifts to who will be the next pope. While it’s almost impossible to grasp the sheer responsibility that comes with being a successor to St. Peter, we always trust that God will not only raise up the right shepherd for that role, but also that He will guide him through this daily work of guiding His Church. There’s no doubt that a lot of the media’s attention will be focused on the politics (real or imagined) behind the process, or the implications of a particular new pope for one hot-button issue or another.
But I hope that as committed Catholics, we are looking at it differently that that. I hope we realize that the Holy Spirit is in charge of this process, and that our focus is on prayer rather than speculation or politics. After all, we trust that the Cardinals in the conclave are guided by the Holy Spirit, and that they desire God’s will for our Church. Our job as Catholics is to pray for them. After all, if over 1 billion Catholics are all praying in earnest for the conclave, how could it possibly fail to manifest God’s will?
With that in mind, I offer the following prayer given to us by the United States Bishops.
O God, eternal shepherd,
who govern your flock with unfailing care,
grant in your boundless fatherly love
a pastor for your Church
who will please you by his holiness
and to us show watchful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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