As we are in the midst of waiting and praying for the election of a new pope, MANY people have an opinion on who it should be and what they should be like. There are praises and criticisms of the previous popes, Francis and his predecessors, and many people are forming their ideal candidate around the attributes of popes they liked (and disliked) from the past.
For most of us, our opinion on the matter really doesn’t matter. We cannot control the outcome of the election other than asking the Holy Spirit to be with the Cardinal electors. But many of us will still have conversations with others about the election, and we may have the opportunity to evangelize through these conversations. So it is important that we are informed of the attributes of a good pope and relay this to others. How are we to know these attributes? We look to Peter, the first leader that Jesus gave us for the Church. He was a far from perfect man, but led through the power of the Holy Spirit.
One of the first attributes that we need in a pope is that he must be a man of prayer stemming from an intimate love of Jesus. The pope is the Vicar of Christ until Jesus returns. So to take care of Jesus’ Church, the pope needs to allow Jesus to lead through Him. We see that after the resurrection, Peter loved Jesus even ‘more than these,’ which made him able to feed Jesus’ flock. We also see him frequent the temple after Pentecost with the rest of the disciples. He was a man devoted to prayer, and His relationship with God helped Him lead the infant Church.
The pope needs to be averse to corruption. We see in Acts of the Apostles that Ananias and Sapphira – members of the early Church – withhold some of their money unrightfully from the Church. Peter calls them out and prophesies God’s judgment upon them which is ultimately their death. In a Vatican that has been riddled with financial corruption throughout its existence, the pope needs to be a man who sees material things that should be wisely distributed as a vehicle to give physical and spiritual mercy to the poor.
The pope needs to be an evangelist. At Pentecost and many following occasions in the Jewish temple, Peter became the authoritative orator for the Apostles. He proclaims Jesus crucified and resurrected to all those who will hear. He also heals in the name of Jesus. So much so, that people clamor just to be in Peter’s shadow. This clear authority allows him to become a definitive voice whenever disputes arise inside the early Church. The primary role of the pope is to make sure that everyone in the world knows about the love that God has for the world and to extend His invitation of eternal life with Him.
The pope also needs courage in the face of adversity. He should be willing to be martyred socially or even physically for the Truth. Peter and the Apostles were arrested and questioned by the Jewish authorities multiple times in the days of the early Church for preaching and healing in the name of Jesus. Yet, Peter’s answer to them is simple every time he is told to stop: When deciding between listening to God or the Jewish authorities, Peter is always going to listen to God. He and the Apostles even rejoice in being allowed to suffer persecution for Jesus.
Finally, possibly the most important attribute of the pope is his humility. The pope needs to know his weaknesses as a sinner. He must depend on the strength of Jesus in the sacraments through the power of the Holy Spirit. Many times prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus, Peter will make statements of profound faith, but also statements of profound misunderstandings of Jesus and the cross. Jesus goes as far as calling him ‘Satan’ on one occasion, and Peter famously denies Jesus three times the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. Yet, Peter is given forgiveness. In each occasion, Peter gets back up and is strengthened in His faith. His leadership in the Church was not a result of perfection. It was a result of receiving Jesus’ perfection. Even after the resurrection and pentecost, Peter will have moments of failure. But in the end, Peter always comes back to Lord even to the point of being martyred by upside down crucifixion in Rome.
All of these attributes are gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. They are the result of a loving relationship with God, and they inspire a hope for Eternal life with our Heavenly Father. So simply put, the next pope needs to be a man filled with the Holy Spirit. As we look forward to meeting our next Holy Father, let us pray that the Holy Spirit fills the College of Cardinals and the next selected successor of St. Peter.
