Within a few days, the cardinals of the Catholic Church will be gathered in closed session to choose the next pope. It should be a time of intense prayer and fasting. But does it make a difference?
Recent discussions with faithful Catholics seemed to represent a subdued response to the news of Pope Francis’ death. It is as if there is no where near the interest that there has been in the past. A few factors may explain this phenomenon:
decreased Church attendance due to the bishops’ response to the COVID-19 virus and the closure of churches and church-related institutions (schools). This led to a degradation in belief of the Church as an institution of influence. It led to a turning away from the sacraments of many.
confusion over Church teaching: with more than a few of the writings from Pope Francis, the lines between sin and Church teaching were blurred. Issues such as homosexuality, women in the priesthood, sacraments for divorced Catholics, etc, are just some of the issues that Pope Francis seemed to make fuzzy and confusing for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Fortunately, the Catholic Church, for all of its centralized structure and centuries of tradition and bureaucracy, remains a very decentralized organization. Our faith really comes down to our individual realtionship with Christ and our participation and reception of the sacraments. A bad priest can still say a valid Mass and give a valid Confession. Whether we attend a Mass in our diocese of any other diocese, it is still meeting our Sunday obligation.
But where the pope can make a difference in the Diocese of Gaylord is in example, writings, and most significantly, in the selection of a bishop. A holy, orthodox pope can spur vocations to the Diocese and the greater Church. This was seen when Pope John Paul II was pope – many religious credit their vocation interest to the example of Pope Saint John Paul II. Clear teaching by the pope can help to strengthen the faithful, the clergy, and the bishop of any diocese.
But selection of personnel is the critical step in the office of the papacy. Obviously the pope relies on a myriad of advisors, but in the end, it is the pope himself who is the final approval for any bishop in our Diocese. And even if the pope relies on others, it is those others, selected by the pope, who will make the lists of candidates and advise the pope on whom to select.
Therefore, the selection of the next pope is critical. After years of what has been described by many a faithful Catholic as a catastrophe in the office of the papacy, it is vital that we pray hard for a good Vicar of Christ for the Church and for the Diocese of Gaylord.