Interlude

 "'His office let another take'....And they cast lots for them...." (Acts 1:20, 26)

The date has finally been set.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The first day of the Conclave of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel begins in just a little over seventy-two hours.

It's a strange thing, really. This power to bind and loose. It almost seems a  little profane, that men in red hats should write names down on pieces of paper and cast votes to determine who shall be the next Vicar of Christ on earth. It feels a little like gambling with God, casting lots like the Apostles did to fill the office of Judas. And God bows to it, accepts it, and ratifies it. And He sets His protection of infallibility around it, so that the  gates of hell will not ever prevail against His Church, His Body, His Bride.

And some people will say that all of this is impossible. Men cannot decide such things, men have not been granted such power-- a power that God Himself seems to obey. And others will point out that the Men in Red have picked some tremendously rotten Shepherds in times past. And all that I will say today about all of that is that none of us can see Behind the Scenes...and the Spirit is alive and with us still.

Regardless of personal opinion and belief, few events (if any) receive more worldwide attention than the election of a new Pope. This one has been no exception, especially since it was preceded by the resignation of the previous Pope-- a thing which hasn't happened in about seven hundred years. Imagine! A Bishop of Rome, and a Bishop Emeritus of Rome! What does this mean?! The media is all abuzz. Every question is posed, every concern is voiced, every bit of gossip passed along and worried at. Why did the Pope resign? Was the Vatileaks scandal to much for Benedict? Will the next Pope be a media figure? Can we start talking about women priests again? What about liturgical reform?....and on it goes, ad nauseum. And in the midst of all this (perhaps weirdest of all) PaddyPower is taking in thousands of pounds in bets and crunching odds on who will be the next Supreme Pontiff. Yes, gambling on the heir of Peter as if this was a horse race. I can hear it now: "Looks good, but inexperienced", "He's good in the mud, and we need a mudder with all the dirt in the Church right now", "Him? No, too old, should have been turned out to pasture years ago."

Between Vicar number 265 and Vicar number 266 we have this little interlude, this little time to reflect. To think about the Church and the world and the way things are going, and where they need to be going. Yes, we all have our favorites, we all have our "picks". I have a few of my own, I'll admit. And I am as interested as the next sinner in line to know if the next Pope will follow in the footsteps of Vatican II and JPII, or if he will be even stronger on liturgical reform and more traditional than B16 was. I too am curious to see how he deals with people of other religions, and particularly what he can do to help heal the Great Schism between east and west. I wait eagerly to see what he will say about social justice and economics. I want to know if he will bring about a renaissance among the abbeys and convents.

But the chief characteristic which comes to my mind right now is courage. Any Pope in these dark and secular days will need great courage. Courage and simplicity. All due diplomacy and peace-making aside, I want a Pope who will call a spade a spade; who will praise good and condemn evil; who will turn the Vatican inside out and rid it of corruption; who will be fearless in speaking truth to countries, tyrants, and politicians; who will purge the Church of wicked leaders, liberal bishops, and predatory priests; a Pope who will shake us up, and wake us up, and bring us face to Face with Christ.

So we wait. Let us offer some very serious prayers these next few days for the Conclave.

And to the great man and Shepherd I have so long admired, all that I will say now is this: May God bless you and make His Face to shine upon you. May He fill the final stage of you pilgrimage with mercy and spiritual blessings. Go with God, Holy Father, all your children love you.