6 May 2025
The Kind of Pope I Want
Since the death of our late Holy Father, Pope Francis, and even before, there’s been much speculation on who will be the next Roman Pontiff. Some of it is blatantly partisan, some of it just downright ridiculous. Many in the West are treating it as if it were an ecclesiastical version of the secular political campaigning of presidential candidates. Various sectors within the Church are pushing for their pet ideologies - more freedom for the traditional Latin Mass; more emphasis on the rights of the family; more action against the abuse of the vulnerable, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Certainly these issues have importance. However, I think that we of the West tend to ignore the issues facing the Church in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where the Church is growing by leaps and bounds. Nor can we forget that in some areas the Church is being persecuted, not just in subtle ways, but in violent, active ways.
Various groups are “backing” this, that, or the other Cardinal. I have a couple favourites myself, but then, I wouldn’t wish the Papacy on my worst enemy. It is truly a deadly position. It is generally assumed that the man elected as Successor of St. Peter will stay in the “shoes of the fisherman” until death - although Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that abdication is possible.
Generally speaking, the Cardinals are well educated, intelligent, prayerful, and committed men. They have been and will be the eyes and ears of the Papacy throughout the world. Each Cardinal has his own strengths and weaknesses, his own preferences and prejudices. That is the baggage that comes with being human.
With all that being said, here is the kind of Pope I’d prefer: a man like St. Joseph. Granted, St. Joseph was not a member of the clergy, nor numbered among the Apostles, but then none of them was chosen by God to be the man to protect, raise, instruct, and love the Incarnate Son of God.
Scripture tells of little of St. Joseph, and does not record a single word of his. From what little it says of him, we know that he is of the royal line of King David. Had that dynasty not have been deprived of the throne, Joseph would have sat the throne rather than labouring in a backwater village of the Galilee. St. Matthew’s gospel tells us that he was a carpenter who was righteous - in other words, following God’s law, with a right relationship with God and neighbour. Because of this, St. Joseph did not hesitate to do God’s bidding once he knew it.
Almighty God would not have chosen Joseph by chance to be the man who would be the chaste husband of the Mother of God, and the adoptive father of Christ the Lord. In the Litany of St. Joseph, he is described as most just, most chaste, most prudent, most brave, most obedient, most loyal. Those sound like excellent qualities for a Pope, in my opinion.
I’d like to see a Pope who has the same kind of fatherly love for the Church, as St. Joseph had for Christ. I think we need a Pope who will have the same kind of love for the Church as St. Joseph had for his spouse, the ever-virgin Mary. We need a good and faithful steward set over the household of God, a provider, and a protector. We need a humble worker - nay, not just a worker, but a craftsman like St. Joseph, who applies his skills assiduously and with patience, so that the finished work is one of perfection and beauty.
In an age of celebrities, we don’t need a flashy, photogenic Pope. I think we need a humble, quiet Pope. He doesn’t need to be a great philosopher or theologian. The Church has plenty of them for the Pope to call upon when needed. We don’t need a globetrotting pilgrim either. I’d rather see the Pope stay at home in Rome and save some hefty money for the universal and local churches. Papal trips are not cheap, especially for smaller, poorer dioceses. Besides, each diocese has its own successor to the Apostles in its own bishop. Perhaps that can be a way to highlight the unity between the bishops and the Pope. Yes, let him travel on special occasions, but just then.
Yes, we do need a Pope who is familiar with how the press works, and how social media often distorts the message of the Pope and Church. But then, we do have the Communications Office of the Vatican for that too. We need a Pope who will surround himself with the best advisors, especially ones who aren’t afraid to say “no” when needed. The last thing we need are more sycophants and toadies who are looking to make their mark through the Pope and climb the ecclesiastical ladder.
We need a Pope who is fearless. Most brave, like St. Joseph, not only against the hostile forces outside of the Church, but also against the corrupt within the Church. We need a Pope who will continue what Francis and his predecessors have started - to reform and purify the Roman Curia, a work that is more difficult than the labours of Hercules! We need a Pope who is a model for workers, a guardian of virgins, a cornerstone of families, a support in difficulties, a comfort for the sorrowing, a hope of the sick. We need a faithful and loving shepherd who will be a patron of the exiles, the afflicted, the poor, and the dying - one who will plead for them at the Throne of Grace, who will make their plights known to the world, and one who will minister to them with words and deeds.
Will our new Pope embody all of these virtues? Probably not. Not many men could. But, I hope he will have most of them. Our new Pope will be one of us - a sinner called to be a saint, but also a man who is also tasked with being the Universal shepherd, teacher, and pontiff.
May good St. Joseph pray for the Church, and for the man who will be our new Pope! May his intercession obtain for us the Pope we need!
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