In the local dailies, there were comments that there would never be a pope like John Paul II; that the next pope would always stand in the shadow of the great Pope John Paul II; and that no one can take his place in their hearts. This is much like the reactions of bereaved children who have lost dearly beloved parents, the reaction of those who have lost someone who has been so intimately a part of their lives.
Who would be the next pope? Would he be conservative who would stand pat on the age-old doctrines, the immovable truths which are not relative and which simply cannot change regardless of time or place or circumstance? Would he be one of the progressives who would decentralize what they call "spiritual authoritarianism" in Church governance, make optional mandatory celibacy of diocesan priests, make priests of women, allow for artificial birth control by the use of contraceptives or even the use of condoms to prevent AIDS, and religious pluralism which would consider Christianity as just one among many religions? The questions that come up from the sector of the progressive clergy and hierarchy stagger the simple faithful who know only that to love God we must obey his commandments and that continuous renewal and reform is geared towards the law of love, and that there is no love if we violate the commandments.
In one of the quickest conclaves in Church history, His Eminence, Josef Cardinal Ratzinger, 20 years working with Pope John Paul II as prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and Morals was elected Vicar of Christ. He said that when he saw that the voting was leading to his election, he prayed God to take someone younger and more energetic than he so he could spend his time in peaceful retirement. "But this time," he said, "God did not listen to me." So he could not do otherwise but accept. "I am just a simple laborer in the Lord’s vineyard," he humbly said. Before the College of Cardinals, he declared, "I will take up the work which my great predecessor has set and follow closely his footsteps." But God was speaking in the Assembly that this is the man of his choice at the moment. It might seem a disappointment to liberals who called him a "hardliner" when it comes to guarding the purity of the doctrines of the faith.
We, clergy and laity alike, are in no position to preempt how the Church will carry on further renewal and reform, to go ahead of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, in charting out the changes that should be made on the lives of people especially of the clergy. Our present position should be one of unwavering trust. God has chosen the person who now shepherds his flock, Did he not say to us: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (Jn 14:18). He has never broken this promise since Jesus ascended into heaven and left to Peter the care of the flock, he has come in the person of the Holy Father. And this has continued on up to the present 265th successor of the apostle.
And for those who are raring for such reforms as a married diocesan clergy, or women priests and the like, leave this to the Holy Father. Christ has promised: "I will ask the Father and He will send you another Advocate to be with you always; the Spirit of Truth which the world cannot accept because it neither sees nor knows him" (Jn. 14:16).
For the moment, we simply trust in this promise of Jesus that His Spirit will lead His Holiness and act in him according to the needs of the flock. Meanwhile, he continues to guard the purity of our Doctrine which in faith we should humbly believe.
Sixth Sunday of Easter, John 14:15-21.