On May 7th, the Conclave will begin. The term Conclave means “with a key,” and during this time, the cardinals will be isolated from the outside world, and will dedicate themselves to profound prayer, appealing to the same Holy Spirit that descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost.
The selection of a pope is a sacred and solemn process that traces its roots to Christ, who entrusted Peter with the “keys to the kingdom of heaven.”
Our Lord said to Peter: “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19).
Today, the Church still holds onto this enduring truth that Christ Himself chose a vicar to continue to lead the Church through every age long after His Death, Resurrection, and Ascension into Heaven.
The tomb of Peter, our first pope, still rests beneath St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, from which the next pope will soon emerge onto the balcony.
During this Easter Season of Hope, we wait in prayer, uniting ourselves with the Church, eagerly waiting in anticipation for the “Servant of the Servants of Christ” to be chosen.
In a special way today, as we celebrate the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church and a courageous defender of the papacy, we are reminded of her love for the Holy Father and of her work for unity in the Church. In her time, she urged the pope to return to Rome to fulfill his role as shepherd of the Universal Church. Her bold witness encourages us today to pray fervently for the one who will soon assume the Chair of Peter. May her intercession guide the cardinals in their discernment and prepare the new pope to embrace the profound responsibility and great sacrifice of leading Christ’s Church.
Let us pray:
O God, eternal shepherd,
who govern your flock with unfailing care,
grant in your boundless fatherly love
a pastor for your Church
who will please you by his holiness
and to us show watchful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Most Reverend Alfred A. Schlert, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Allentown
Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.
Photo: Cardinals from around the world line up in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel March 12, 2013, to take their oaths at the beginning of the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI. The following day, on the fifth ballot, they elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, who chose the name Francis. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
