Topics discussed at the last general congregationConclave: rules, profiles, duration and curiositiesIn these days we are experiencing a historic event that is of interest to the entire international community, and not only for Catholics, since the election of the successor of St. Peter not only seeks to provide the particular Church of Rome with a Bishop, but to give a Pastor to the Universal Church, since the successor of that fisherman martyred on the Vatican hill becomes "Vicarius Christi", a title to which is attached the primacy, both of honor and jurisdiction over the Church of Christ, exercising over the Church a "Vicarius Christi", a title to which is attached the primacy, both of honor and of jurisdiction over the Church of Christ. "full, supreme and universal power". (LG 22). The basis of this jurisdiction (Jn 21:15-17) and the notes that characterize it confirm the promise made by Jesus in Mt 16:18-19 and this is the path on which I will try to guide these lines.
Pray for the deceased Pope and pray for the elected Pope
During the NovendialiChristians pray to God that "who has been shepherd of the whole Church, may he enjoy eternally in heaven the mysteries of grace and forgiveness, which he faithfully administered on earth." (cf. Roman Missal. Masses for the Dead IV. For a Pope. Collect Prayer) and now, at the end of this period, the supplication takes a particular turn, we ask for a new Pope, for a new man of God who will take on the challenge of leading his flock, who will abandon himself totally to Providence to carry out a task in the name of the Supreme Pastor, the Eternal High Priest.
We pray with insistence for a pastor who responds to the multiplicity of elements that characterize modern times, a man who knows how to continue the march of the boat of Peter, of the Church; a man who gives continuity to the project of Jesus in the midst of the world; a pastor who knows how to accompany, guide and be with the sheep entrusted to him in spite of the difficulties that the position implies and who, without his own merit, but by pure Grace, knows how to overcome the challenges and make the Kingdom of God re-emerge in the midst of the world; a man who is present with his testimony of life without forgetting that "we exist to teach God to men." (Benedict XVI. Homily April 24 2005), and therefore, with his charity and with the clarity of his doctrine so that all, pastors and faithful, at the end of our earthly pilgrimage may give glory to God eternally in Heaven.
We pray for a pastor who likes "for the holiness of his life and may he favor us by his vigilant pastoral zeal." (cf. Roman Missal. For the election of the pope or bishop. Masses and prayers for various needs and for various circumstances, n. 4).
A power based on love
As you can see, the Bishop of Rome, the Pope (Petri Apostoli Potestam Accipiens, i.e., the one who receives authority from the Apostle Peter).has a great mission, which can only be exercised with the assistance of the Divine Spirit and not by his own merits. This power has a characteristic note: Love. In fact, almost in note homileticsIn the light of the passage of Jn 21:15-17, we discover the greatness of love in the exercise of the authority of the Pastor of the Universal Church. Peter, denies knowing Jesus on three occasions during the hours of the Passion (Cf. Mt 26:67-75. Mk 14:66-72. Lk 22:54-62. Jn 18:15-18. 25-27) and Jesus, once resurrected, questions Peter the same number of times about only one thing, about what for Jesus was, is and continues to be important: about love.
In these days when it seems that the criterion of choice is the capacity for dialogue, the doctrinal line, the aspect of continuity, unity, whether one is from one line of formation or another, whether there are attractive elements in the person or ease of connection with the various ecclesial realities, what really interests Jesus and should interest us all is the capacity for love, the depth of his relationship with the Master because, only he who has known how to connect with Jesus through his closeness to Him, is capable of affirming with radical conviction: "Dominus est" ("It is the Lord"), as the disciple whom Jesus loved said (Jn 21:7).
The story of the Peter's triple confession has some curiosities, which deserve our attention and, without the intention of exhausting the richness of the text, it is worth mentioning them. In the first place, the kind of gradual of Jesus' question, the fact that while both revolve around love ("ἀγαπᾷς με"), the first of these assumes a relational element, not only is it whether he loves Jesus, but whether that love about which he is questioned is greater than that of others, "more than these" ("ἀγαπᾷς με Πλέον τούτων" ─ Diligis me plus his?).
Peter's answer on love seems to fall short, Peter responds to love with affection; Peter responds to the experience of loving with wanting; and yet Jesus entrusts him with what he has, his flock. But this flock also brings a distinction and that is perceived in the Greek translation, before the answer to the relationally tinged question, Jesus entrusts his flock to him. lambs: "βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία . μου", on the other hand, to the second question Jesus entrusts his sheep: "Ποίμαινε τὰ προβάτιά προβάτιά . μου".
To the relational aspect Jesus entrusts the little ones, those who experience an accelerated growth that determines their whole existence, like the lambs, sheep that in the first months of life are characterized by a soft fur, small horns and a tender and delicate general appearance; not so the sheep that experience a slow growth to become bigger and more robust animals, with thicker and rougher fur and horns.
Finally, Jesus, as in the incarnationThe fact that Peter does not take the step to raise the gradualness of his response to make it correspond to the reality and human weaknesses of the situation. eodem sensu et adequem sententiai.e, in the same sense and in the same feelingJesus descends the gradualness of his question and questions him on what he has answered: "....φιλεῖς με", i.e. "Do you love me?".
The greatness of this experience with Jesus was already stated by Pope St. John XXIII when he affirmed that "the successor of Peter knows that in his person and in his activity it is the law of grace and love that sustains, vivifies and adorns everything; and in the face of the whole world, it is in the exchange of love between Jesus and him, Simon Peter, son of John, that the holy Church finds its support as on an invisible and visible support: Jesus, invisible to the eyes of the flesh, and the Pope, Vicar of Christ, visible to the eyes of the whole world.". The Pope continued: "well weighed this mystery of love between Jesus and his Vicar (...), my life must be all love for Jesus and at the same time total outpouring of goodness and sacrifice for every soul and for the whole world". (Diary of the soul, what sustains Pedro?).
Let us trust in the action of God who acts from his own time and that the times of difficulty and trial are a prelude to times of glory, joy, life in, with and for God. The Church of the Lord is not on the margin of this, it is not convenient to prop up according to our criteria, let the Spirit act, let the Supreme Shepherd choose the one the Church needs for the present times and that, echoing the words of the Pope Benedict XVIin our prayer let us know that "One of the fundamental characteristics of the shepherd must be to love the people entrusted to his care, just as Christ, at whose service he is, loves. To feed means to love, and to love means to give the true good to the sheep, the nourishment of God's truth, of God's Word, the nourishment of his presence." (Benedict XVI, Homily April 24, 2005).
