There is a sense of newness in the Church right now. Not a newness that distances itself from the faith and witness to Jesus Christ born by the early Church and the faithful through the ages. Rather, it’s a newness of renewal, even, we might say, of new life.
That newness, of course, is related to the election of Pope Leo XIV. And with the modern instantaneous and world-wide virtual media, we are able not only to see the pope walking with vigor, greeting crowds and groups and diplomats as part of his work, we are also able to become familiar with his thought, and how he addresses different matters of interest and importance to our Catholic faith. We are even beginning to get a sense of what issues are important to him.
One theme the Holy Father has touched upon several times in his first month of Petrine service is the family. This past week, he addressed a seminar about the need to evangelize families. Pope Leo emphasized the importance of the transmission of the faith that occurs there, especially from parents to children.
He also spent time speaking about what he described as families, “who, for various reasons, are spiritually most distant from us: those who do not feel involved, claim they are uninterested or feel excluded from the usual activities, yet would still like to be part of a community in which they can grow and journey together with others. How many people today simply do not hear the invitation to encounter God?”
Pope Leo mentioned the sorrow of families who have been attracted to lifestyles that do not leave room for faith, especially when those values are spread and reinforced by the ever-present social media. He touched also upon the widespread practice of young people eschewing marriage for cohabitation and the need for them to hear the message of Christ and see the witness of the love of family.
The answer to all of these challenges, according to Pope Leo, is to bring others to a personal relationship with Christ. That is the essence of faith and the sacraments — a heart-to-heart encounter with Jesus.
The Holy Father also spoke to the priests he ordained in Rome last week. He encouraged them also to recognize that their priestly identity is based in union with the person of Jesus Christ. On this basis he urged the priests to recall and live the bonds of love between themselves and the faithful from whom they have been called out and to whom they are sent.
The pope also encouraged the new priests to seek the freedom that is rooted in what he called “a transparency of life.” Like Jesus, priests must live the Gospel values in a transparent way in the sight of the people of God. In so doing, the Holy Father said, “Together … we will rebuild the credibility of a wounded Church, which is sent into a wounded humanity, in the midst of a wounded creation.”
These words are particularly moving this week. Last Saturday, the Diocese of Rockford was blessed with the ordination of two new priests, Father Ryan Nooraee and Father Ian Ordoñez. How grateful to God we must be for the gift of new workers in the harvest of faith. At the same time, there will soon be the changes of assignment with some parishes saying goodbye to their pastor or parochial vicar and beginning a new chapter of parish history with a new priest.
Pope Leo has begun his pontificate by emphasizing the family and the priesthood. He is pointing out the challenges of modern times for both. But he is reminding us that the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. It is meant to be a source of that personal encounter of the faithful with Christ Himself. This encounter we are meant to live and share among ourselves and to bring to others.
This message is, in the words of St. Augustine, “ever ancient and ever new.” Let’s continue to pray for and listen to our new Holy Father.
