Yes, it’s true. I am glued to my television every time there’s a conclave or the election of a new pope. It’s also true that I am not Catholic; however, I have deep respect for the Catholic Church and find the process of selecting a new leader fascinating…
“Eligo in Summum Pontificem” — or “I elect as Supreme Pontiff”.
Those are the words printed on the top half of the rectangular ballot that each of the 133 cardinal electors had in their hands earlier this week. The bottom half was blank, leaving space for each of the electorate to write in the name of their desired candidate.
When a candidate receives at least 89 votes — or a two-thirds majority — he is elected as the new pope. This week, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was chosen as the 267th Bishop of Rome. He is now to be known as Pope Leo XIV. Before we continue, no less, a few more facts add insight into this new, global leader…
- He was born in Chicago to a father of French and Italian descent and to a mother of Spanish descent.
- He has two brothers; he is the youngest of the three.
- He served as yearbook editor-in-chief in high school.
- He graduated from Villanova with a degree in math.
- He is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Peru.
- He is known as “Bob” or “Rob” to friends.
- He received his MDiv from a seminary in Chicago.
- He is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese and can read Latin and German.
- He’s an amateur tennis player.
- And he does the daily “Wordle.”
One of the things that fascinates me in current day is the race to define the new pope. Not to define him by his nationality nor even the baseball team he roots for. (Note: we’ve already seen claims clamoring for loyalty to both the Cubs and the White Sox.) But rather, there seems a very intentional race to define the pope politically…
Is he liberal? Is he conservative? Is he a centrist? What policies is he passionate about?
Outlets on the left and the right have immediately attempted to frame expressions from then Cardinal Robert Prevost to paint a picture of a current pope who aligns with their political beliefs.
And just like that, they all miss the point.
While technically the head of both Church and state — there is no separation as the Vatican is its own city-state — the primary role of the Pope is to pastor the Catholic Church, guiding its global community of approximately 1.3 billion people. He shepherds his people, encouraging them to grow in their faith.
Let us be clear. Members of the Catholic Church are followers of Jesus Christ. They love and serve a triune God — meaning Father, Son and Holy Spirit — Jesus being the son of God made man. The core beliefs of their faith are that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and is the only person on this planet to be resurrected, as all sorts of witnesses saw him, a truth that can’t be ignored and changes us today. They teach, too, consistent with the historic scriptures, that Jesus is absolutely coming to Earth again. Certain disciplines and practices are deeply important, as ways to honor God and authentically connect with him; these include communion, confession, prayer and more. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant word of God; it’s a vital source of knowledge, guidance, and further connection with God. They teach obedience. They teach paying attention to the Holy Spirit and being obedient to his prompting. The Church encourages growth in one’s faith, recognizing that faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. The bottom line is that the Catholic Church encourages fellow followers of Jesus to find meaning and purpose in life by having a relationship with God, reflecting his unrivaled values of compassion and love.
Again, while personally I am a very imperfect follower of Jesus, I am not Catholic. But I deeply respect the Catholic Church.
And it’s so clear to me that any attempt to frame Bob/Rob/Pope Leo XIV as politically aligned, pales in comparison to what he’s actually called to do.
Respectfully…
AR