By Sarah-Leah Pimentel
In a typical promotion, candidates must demonstrate how they are the most qualified for the position. They need to show how their previous experience equips them to meet the demands of the new role. It takes years of hard work and proven success to earn a key position at the top of the corporate ladder.
How, then, does one prepare to become pope?
It would seem that the key criterion is not to want to be the pope! In the Christian tradition (which is often antithetical to worldly logic), a suitable papal candidate cannot appear to be ambitious.
Shortly before Christ’s passion, the disciples began jockeying for positions of authority in heaven. They demanded that Jesus “do for us whatever we ask” (cf Mark 10:35). Jesus refused to entertain their desire for power and status. Instead, he told them that the path to greatness is through weakness and servitude, saying “whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:44).
As head of the Church, the pope, once elected, leaves everything behind. He abandons all his former projects and the comfort of his religious community. He says goodbye to his friends and family. There is not a single CEO in the world who would make that kind of sacrifice for a top job.
Two other important qualities for a papal candidate are humility and love.
It is fitting, then, that Jesus chose Peter to be the first pope. Peter was not the most learned of the disciples. He was impulsive, and his hot temper often landed him in trouble. And then he did the unthinkable. He had sworn undying loyalty to Jesus, and only a few hours later, denied knowing Jesus.
But unlike Judas, who couldn’t face Jesus after his betrayal, Peter came back and sought reconciliation. Three times, Peter rejected Jesus publicly. Three times, Jesus asked Peter if his love was true. Repentant and humbled by his own failing, Peter reaffirmed his commitment to follow Jesus. Christ knew that Peter’s heart was true and entrusted him with the largest possible task: to be the leader of the apostles and the nascent Church, taking it to the ends of the earth.
Thus, it is fitting that every successor of Peter should also be equipped with a sense of their unworthiness for the task at hand. But even more important than humility is true devotion to Jesus and the Kingdom of God. In all he does, the pope needs to be filled with fire for the mission to take the message of love and salvation to all.
Robert Francis Prevost was not an obvious candidate for the papacy. The pundits had their eye on cardinals with far greater visibility. Yet, anyone who turns down the prestige of a Harvard education and chooses a life of poverty and obedience has practised humility from a young age. Filled with an unquenchable love for Christ, Prevost went to rural Peru, as far as one could possibly get from the centres of political and spiritual power. He followed in the footsteps of Peter, taking the message of Christ’s love and upholding the dignity of those who have been forgotten by the world.
As he begins the mammoth task to be shepherd to the people of God, we keep Pope Leo XIV in our prayers, that the humility and love he embodies can also be passed onto a world that has grown hard of heart.
