A Time of Waiting, Wondering, and Hope

A Time of Waiting, Wondering, and Hope

By the time you read this bulletin, the white smoke may have already risen and we may have a new Holy Father. Or, perhaps, the Cardinals gathered in Conclave are still discerning, still waiting on the voice of the Holy Spirit.

 

As Catholics, we trust that the Spirit of God is at work in the Church—not in magical or mechanical ways, but through the prayerful discernment of faithful and imperfect people. The Conclave is not like a political convention or business boardroom. It is a sacred moment of deep listening and courageous decision. While we might hope for a certain outcome—or even feel initially disappointed by the result—we are invited to remain open to the surprising ways the Holy Spirit moves through the Body of Christ.

 

Many of you have heard me jokingly paraphrase Jesus as saying, “Wherever two or three gather in my name…there will be politics.”  There’s been a recent movie about a fictional papal election that’s sparked a lot of conversation. And while it gets most of the procedures right, let’s just say: don’t believe everything you see in the movies. God knew all the personal and social dynamics involved with human group endeavors when he entrusted the Church to human leadership (as we hear proclaimed in the Book of Acts during the Easter season). Meanwhile, screenwriters have their own agenda, and they know how to create tension and scandal to keep the audience engaged, but the real drama of a Conclave is often quiet, prayerful, and unseen.

 

When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI, I remember initially feeling unsettled. At the time, he had a reputation as an overly stern defender of orthodoxy—some even called him “God’s Rottweiler.” I wondered if he would be rigid or distant in the role of pope. But what I witnessed instead was a man of profound humility, clarity, and tenderness. He taught us with brilliance and depth, but also with a gentleness I did not expect. Over time, I grew to admire him deeply and to see in him the heart of a true shepherd.

 

That experience taught me something important: the pope is not a one-dimensional person. He is a pastor with a past, yes—but also a servant of a Church that stretches beyond his preferences or preconceptions. The weight of the Petrine ministry shapes the person as much as the person shapes the ministry. Whoever emerges onto that balcony in St. Peter’s Square, we are called to open our hearts—not blindly, but faithfully—to the work God will do in and through him.

 

So I ask you to join me and our whole parish family in prayer. Whether the new pope has already been chosen or is still to come, let us entrust him to the care of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray that he may lead us with wisdom, courage, and compassion, and with a desire to listen. 

 

Here is a prayer for the new pope, adapted from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference:

“O God, eternal shepherd, who govern your flock with unfailing care, 
 grant in your boundless fatherly love a pope for your Church 
 who will please you by his holiness and lead us with gentleness and strength. 
 Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Come, Holy Spirit!