Hope in Christ

I read an article yesterday after the black smoke rose from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel. It was clearly written either by a heathen or a Catholic who was very poorly catechized. The author reported that after the first day of the conclave there was no new Pope chosen and it "has caused grief and worry" among Catholics "all over the world". Hmmmmm...

No, not really. For the world, who thinks of the Catholic Church like a corporation that is dependent on every decision made by the leaders, this time of "Sedes Vacans" (i.e. "the empty seat of the papacy") appears like we are all wringing our hands, worried whether we will survive this trial of being without a "CEO". For those of us who know our Catholic faith and the divine revelation of how the Church works, we know that Christ is always the One in charge, whether there is a Pope or not.

If our hope is really in the leadership itself, then, yes, we will be fearful right now. If our hope, however, is in the One Who created the Church (as opposed to those whom He placed as undershepherds to rule for Him), then there is nothing fearful about this time. Even if the Cardinals do not listen to the Holy Ghost and end up choosing a Pope who is not faithful to the Deposit of Faith (as happened not too long ago), we still know that it is only because Christ allowed it to happen for our good. In fact, this time of waiting is helpful for us to be able to appreciate better our new Holy Father when he is chosen.

Yes, there are many confused Catholics out there today, but I do not believe that there is "grief and worry all over the world". Do we look for and pray for a good and holy Pope? Yes, of course we do. Do we think that our eternal destiny is dependent on getting the right guy in office (like so many today who place all their hope in politics!)? If we love our Lord, we had better not do so. We hope in Christ and so we can be patient and learn from this time that God is our Almighty and loving Redeemer.