Fr Anthony's Reflection

An empty balcony, an ever-growing and exuberant crowd that can’t squeeze into the hemmed-in square, a world that puts aside its pressing affairs to gather before a screen and waits to glimpse the new man in white…

These are some elements of the impressions formed in the space of that marvelously unique period of time in Catholic history between the election of a new pope and his appearance….

…And then the glass, curtained doors finally open to reveal a messenger who reads in our ancient, common language words passed along through the centuries…adding the name of our new pope, and the man who has chosen this name.

“Francesco!” the reporter on the Italian channel cried out.  And the room of Sisters and lay people gathered together in a small convent’s recreation room in the town of Kretinga, Lithuania, where I have come to give the Spiritual Exercises, echo with wonder and delight: “Francesco!” 

The name of the Cardinal who has been chosen and who, in turn, assents to serve, walks calmly but joyfully through this threshold and into the lives and hearts of more than a billion people.  With simplicity and informality he wishes Rome and the world good evening.

He pulls silence and awe from our hearts as he bows and asks that we first bless and pray for him, before granting us his blessing.

He makes these sacred and historical moments human.  He delights and surprises with each sentence.    

When I was a seminarian a spiritual father told us that one of the signs of the activity of the Holy Spirit is true surprise:  Where God is active, we humans are often amazed. 

And the new Pope witnessed to this active presence of the Holy Spirit last evening as he greeted the Church and world as the first pontiff to choose as his special patron, St. Francis, Christ’s Poor Troubadour and Great Church Reformer.  This and his reputation as a priest who both loves the poor and tirelessly serves his flock made the greatest impression on me and on many others.  Also, it is wonderful that the College of Cardinals chose a leader who comes from Latin America, where the Catholic Church is thriving and is full of future as well as history.

And I have to admit that I was truly surprised to hear that a Jesuit was elected pope.  (In fact, one of the many sms text messages that I received within the first hour of the pope’s nomination was from a Sister in Moscow who reminded me that just last week I told her that I couldn’t imagine that there was a possibility for a Jesuit to be elected pope…. I thanked her for her greeting and explained that I obviously do not have the gift of prophecy.)

As a Jesuit, it is pleasant to imagine that a son of St. Ignatius is called to this role of service for the first time in history.  I don’t think that his being a Jesuit will make him a “different” pope.  But hopefully his training in discernment and the Ignatian love for and fidelity to the Vicar of Christ—whom St. Ignatian, as a faithful and inspired Catholic, insisted that his followers love, respect and serve with special passion—will serve Pope Francis and our Church well. 

The turning point in St. Ignatius’ conversion came when he was struck with the awareness that if St. Francis and St. Dominic really lived as they did, then it is possible and even necessary for him to endeavor with God’s help to do so as well.  Our prayers for this pope is that this same challenge (vyzov) from this remarkable Saint propels him to live and act as this Great Patron would have him do.  This would bring great things to Christ’s Church in the time that Pope Francis serves as His Vicar.