By the time you read this article, we may already have a new pope. We pray that his leadership will continue Pope Francis’ vision of the Church as a “field hospital,” compassionate and caring for all people, especially those who are marginalized and “wounded” in our society.
Rooted in Scripture and Tradition, we pray that the new pope will foster synodality— a spirit of listening, discernment, and engagement— pastoral accompaniment, missionary outreach, the co-responsibility of the laity, and collegiality among the bishops. We hope he will exhibit the courage and wisdom necessary to navigate church bureaucracy, to promote unity among cardinals, bishops, the rest of the clergy, and the faithful, and to challenge global leaders to work earnestly for peace, justice, progress, and human dignity for all people.
His task is to embody the spirit of Vatican II, advancing the Church’s mission, engaging in dialogue with the world, healing divisions, and being missionary disciples of Christ— not merely maintaining traditions but actively and creatively proclaiming the “joy of the Gospel.” He needs to balance upholding the integrity of Church doctrines with compassion and understanding, in the Spirit of the Gospel, towards those who do not live an ideal Christian life. He must be a bridge to Christ, an instrument of unity both within and outside the Church, accessible to many, especially young people, and most importantly, he must be a man of prayer, deeply connected to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We must pray for him, as it is not easy to carry the heavy burden of responsibility for leading the entire Roman Catholic Church. As a spiritual leader in the world, he must uphold the Church’s role as the moral conscience, particularly concerning human dignity and the promotion of justice and peace. He must not shy away from speaking out against injustice, war, materialism, corruption, greed for power and wealth, the degradation of human sexuality, the destruction of the human family and environment, and a world lacking in belief in God and authentic spirituality.
As we hear in this Sunday’s Gospel, may he be the Good Shepherd who knows, listens to his sheep, and nourishes them with the Bread of Eternal Life. May he be a shepherd who brings unity to us all and continually seeks the lost sheep. And may we, as his flock, respectfully listen to his voice as the Vicar of Christ on earth.
We will miss Pope Francis. Let us always remember what he said to the priests and laity of Buenos Aires: “Go out, go out, I prefer a Church that is broken, wounded, and dirty for having gone out on the streets, rather than a Church that is feeble and sick for having closed itself up and clung comfortably to its safety.”
With our new shepherd, let us move forward, as Pope Francis has urged us, to grow in our capacity to dream and to prophesy!
Your loving pastor,
* * *
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * *
Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California
