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Something to consider! I am guardedly optimistic but, if I am being honest, it's been a rough 12 years!
We have had 266 popes, give or take a few historical questions (e.g. Stephen II, in 752, died three days after he was elected and before he could be crowned, does he count or not? Historians debate...). Some have been great saints, some have been horrible scoundrels, most have been mediocre.
Our faith is not built on popes. Peter was given the task of confirming the faith of the brethren. Not reinterpreting it, not changing it to suit the times, not leaning one direction or another. Confirming the faith of the brethren - helping us all to see Jesus more. To trust Jesus more. To love Jesus more.
If they do that, hurrah! They're good popes. If they don't do that, boo! They're horrible popes. That is all.
But Father, what do YOU think about the new pope? Is he liberal, or conservative, has he ever done anything bad in the past, or is he innocent and pure as the driven snow? Does he put ketchup on his hot dog?
A) I don't know
B), at this point, I don't really care.
Do I want a pope who is a good pope and not a pope who is a bad pope? Of course.
But, in the end (and the beginning, and the middle, and all the hard to reach nooks and crannies) it's about Jesus. Don't fixate so much on the pope that you lose sight of Jesus.
Jesus gave us the faith. Jesus gave us the Church to teach that faith. Jesus gave us Peter to confirm that faith. Popes will come and go. Some will do their job well, others poorly.
That makes no real difference. How are you living your life? How are you falling more and more in love with Jesus? How are your words and actions bringing more people to Him?
If Pope Leo XIV helps us do that, hurrah! If not, boo. If he makes it more difficult for us to do that, shame on him, but we still have to do what we have to do. Pray for him, but keep your eyes on Jesus.
I am a daughter of the Most High and of His Catholic Church. I introduce myself that way because I am so grateful for that! I have been married to Dan for 36 years and we have three young adult children - Brett, Nicole and Eryn - and three grandchildren - Cash, Bowie and Indy. I was employed as the Adult Faith Formation Coordinator at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Peachtree City, Georgia for 14 years from December of 2008 to January of 2023. I earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from Catholic Distance University and a certificate as a Catholic Spiritual Mentor from the Catholic Spiritual Mentorship Program.
I left fulltime ministry in the parish to concentrate on organizing events. I would like to extend my outreach to other parishes and organizations who would like to host a wonderful Adult Faith formation event but might not have the experience or confidence to do that on their own. I offer various services including but not limited to (fees are charged hourly for most services):
+ Event Planning: event planning from start to finish,
+ Consultation: consultation about an event,
+ Consultation about running a successful Adult Faith Formation Program.
+ I also offer different Adult Faith classes and courses that can be accessed by an individual or a group or can be taught by me via zoom or locally in person.
Website https://www.catholiceventplanning.com/ or www.redemptivesuffering.net
