Prominent Canadians hope next pope will display energy, openness, concern for poor
Prominent Canadians hope the next pope will be a man of energy, courage, openness and real concern for the suffering of the world’s poor.
Four diverse Christians, three of whom are Catholic, yearn for something both old and new in the next pope — someone who respects the gospel tradition while reaching out to Catholics, other religions and the secular culture.
A retired bishop, a religion pollster, a Jesuit and a leading Filipino Catholic journalist said they would like the man elected pope to listen intently to the globe’s struggling Catholics — as well as take a bolder stand on issues of justice and poverty.
While the world awaits the results of the secret conclave votes planned today inside the Vatican, the four Canadians offered suggestions for Catholic leaders who polls suggest are often out of step with much of their membership, especially in the West.
John O’Brien, a Vancouver Jesuit, reflected on the time he’s spent with two of the cardinals considered front- runners to become pope.
The instructor at Vancouver’s Corpus Christi College has had numerous conversations in Rome with Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Italian Cardinal Angela Scola. He thinks they could both make good popes, for different reasons.
O’Brien believes the 115 cardinals in the conclave need to choose a pope who will bring “energy” to the position. The 1.2- billion- member church requires a leader who will “continue to dialogue with the modern world.”
Pope Benedict launched strong attacks on secularism, but critics say he often alienated all but his most conservative followers.
In addition, O’Brien believes the next pope “must be a global pope who can travel extensively” and relate to the Catholic Church in developing parts of the world.
O’Brien would celebrate the election of a pope from Latin America, where more than 40 per cent of the world’s Catholics reside. Among other things, O’Brien said a Latin American pope would “have particular insight into issues surrounding poverty and justice.”
O’Brien remembers rich dinner conversations with Ouellet. They occurred when O’Brien was studying in the mid- 2000s in Rome while living at Casa Balthazar, a residence Ouellet helped establish. Scola, the cardinal for Milan who has a gift for creative interaction with Western secularists, would also frequently come by for discussions.
Ouellet would be a useful “bridge” candidate for the church, said O’Brien, 36.
“He’s non- European, but he speaks perfect Italian and he’s spent a lot of time in Rome. He also has the experience of being in Colombia.”
The Vancouver- based Jesuit added: “The question for Ouellet and any pope is: ‘ Can he handle the crosses that will be thrown at him?’ The pope must be a witness to the truth of the gospel to the bitter end.”
Retired Victoria bishop Remi de Roo also hopes the new pontiff will place renewed emphasis on the plight of the world’s poor.
De Roo, considered one of the more progressive bishops in the Catholic Church, thinks the next pope should be intimate with the realities of poverty, including among Catholics in Africa, Asia and Latin America. “I do hope and pray that whoever succeeds Benedict XVI will set aside the pomp and display surrounding the cardinals. It is my fond hope that he will set an example of a simple living style, and that he will embrace by both word and example the cause of the poor.”
The 88- year- old continues to travel to advance reform within the church. While in office, however, De Roo was quietly chastised by both Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul for publicly showing openness to the concepts of married Catholic priests and female priests.
De Roo yearns for a compassionate new pope. “Ideally the candidate would have himself experienced poverty. So he can understand what the historic cause of the poor really means for followers of Christ.”
Veteran Canadian religion pollster Reg Bibby, who consults to the Canadian Catholic Church, emphasized the new pope will need to “bridge the chasm” that separates millions of baptized Catholics from the Vatican hierarchy.
It’s been “good news” that relatively few Catholics have permanently left the church in which they were raised, Bibby said. “But, that said, the standoff on social and moral views needs to be addressed. Catholics and the church need to speak more with each other.”
Bibby’s own polling shows the strong majority of Canadian Catholics are far more liberal than the Vatican on issues such as contraception, homosexuality, female priests and married priests.
The University of Lethbridge sociologist, whose wife is Catholic, said it’s good to see the Vatican placing fresh priority on what’s being called “The New Evangelization.”
“It is ready- made for countries like Canada because its primary focus is on reaching out to dormant Catholics for whom faith has lost significance. In Canada this sector is extremely large.”
Like De Roo, Bibby stressed the new pope needs to play down Vatican authority.
“The last thing inactive Catholics need to hear is that they need to become more involved out of a sense of obedience. What will lead them to greater involvement is the belief that the church is working hard to elevate their lives and the lives of others.”
Ted Alcuitas, an active Catholic who is senior editor of the Philippine Asian News Today, prays the new pope will have the visionary qualities of Pope John XXIII, who 50 years ago introduced Vatican II.
The ecumenical reforms of Vatican II have been too often ignored, Alcuitas said. “I would like to see a pope who will lead in the transformation of the church to be a progressive messenger of the gospel, instead of regressing and failing to listen and dialogue with its faithful.”
An advocate for the world’s poor, Alcuitas concluded: “Perhaps this conclave will surprise us with a new pope ... who will guide the church in its present crises to be a new beacon of hope for the world.”