Pray with the Pope: For the Pope’s mission!

Intention: We pray for the Holy Father; as he fulfils his mission, may he continue to accompany the flock entrusted to him, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Pope Francis memorably recommended that the pastors of the Church should have the “smell of the sheep”. I think we can safely say that he gives an admirable example in this regard.

The Holy Father really does endeavour to put into practice what he preaches. There is no doubt that he has the “common touch” and is energised by his meetings with people. This is also quite remarkable given his health struggles and, at almost 87 years, advancing age.

He takes the trouble to go to the margins of society and the Church in search of the members of the Lord’s flock. His concern for refugees was underlined early in his pontificate when he visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, a hotspot for migration from Africa and the site of many tragedies. Recently, in September, the pope visited Mongolia, a place which many would struggle to find on a map.

What is interesting about this visit is that the number of Catholics in this vast territory is tiny, about 1500 people. Some might ask whether such a visit is worthwhile, but imagine the impact that such a visit will have on the Mongolian Church itself. Imagine being a Mongolian convert in a country in which you are in a microscopic minority, but the Holy Father comes to visit you anyway.

Catching up with a vision

Such journeys convey to us the pope’s vision of the “flock entrusted to him”. It is a vision which is truly Catholic and warmly embraces the people of the “world-Church” which the theologian Fr Karl Rahner wrote about. For the fact is that even with the broader vision of the Church given to us by the Second Vatican Council, in practice the institution has lagged behind when it comes to realising this vision.

We have all heard the jokes about how, when it comes to beatification and canonisation, it really helps to be Italian. I very much doubt that Italian candidates for raising to the altars are today disadvantaged over Mongolian or South African ones (to mention a country which is geographically a long way from Rome) — but perhaps their advantage has been reduced.

Where is the Lord’s flock then? Who are its members? These are the questions that Francis is challenging us to consider. It is not a question only for him, the Chief Shepherd. Anyone with any form of leadership in the Church must consider it.

We all tend to see our local parish as the flock, and this is a good start since that is where we can have some immediate influence. I may be more aware of the Mongolian Church now that the pope has been there, but I am unlikely to be able to have any influence there.

On the other hand, there may be strangers or newcomers on the margins of my own parish. Just by welcoming them, as Pope Francis would, I can push out the boundaries of my own limited vision of the Lord’s flock.

May the Holy Spirit continue to inspire Pope Francis in his challenging outreach to Catholics, all Christians, people of other faiths and all people of goodwill.

Published in the November 2023 issue of The Southern Cross magazine