The news of Pope Francis’ death has reminded many of the importance of the Pope’s role, not only within the Catholic Church, but also as a figure of global significance. This is especially true now, as countless people around the world eagerly await the announcement of who the new Pope will be.
In a way, we already know who the new Pope will be. While we do not yet know the name of the person who will assume this role, we do know who the Pope truly is.
The new Pope is the one in whom we see our beloved Jesus. For St George Preca, the Pope is the ‘sweet Christ on earth’.
The new Pope is the one who will serve as the visible head of the Church, a sign of unity, and a guardian of the true faith passed down to us by the Apostles. From this moment, we can already declare our commitment to follow his teaching, for it is the same teaching of Jesus Christ. We can already stand before God and affirm that we shall be loyal children of the Pope, desiring to be close to him, because we believe he is the living image of Christ on earth.
If we truly love Jesus Christ, whom St George Preca called ‘the sole object of our heart’ then we must also love his greatest work, the Church. Thus, we can already say with confidence that we are always with the Pope, the rock of our faith!
As we await the Habemus Papam, we can begin to pray this prayer:
Lord God, O Father, true vinedresser of the Christian vine, lay your hand upon the man at your right hand, and comfort his heart. Unite ever more people with him in faith and obedience, for whose redemption Christ your Son shed His blood. Amen.
