In his address to the College of Cardinals on May 10, Pope Leo XIV provided an outline of his vision as pope. In continuity with St. Peter and his successors, Pope Leo sees himself as “a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this.”
Humility, simplicity and a total dedication to the proclamation of the Gospel are the qualities that best define the Petrine ministry that Pope Leo has been called to carry out.
To accomplish his sacred responsibilities, the Holy Father is committed to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades since the Second Vatican Council. In making this commitment, Leo XIV declares himself to be united with his recent predecessors: Francis, Benedict XVI, St. John Paul II, St. Paul VI, and St. John XXIII.
Pope Leo will do things his own way, as each of his predecessors did, but the fundamental agenda remains the same.
The Church’s enthusiasm for her mission is grounded in her union with Christ. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, the rich variety of her members makes possible the unity-in-diversity that is at the core of her identity as the one Body of Christ.
Pope Leo told the College of Cardinals that he would follow the principles set forth by Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium.” He then offered several fundamental points from this visionary teaching:
The return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation; the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community; growth in collegiality and synodality; attention to the sensus fidei (sense of the faithful), especially in its most authentic and inclusive forms, such as popular piety; loving care for the least and the rejected; and courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities.
“These are evangelical principles that have always inspired and guided the life and activity of God’s Family,” Pope Leo observed. Then, conscious of the jubilee theme of hope, he continued: “In these values, the merciful face of the Father has been revealed and continues to be revealed in his incarnate Son, the ultimate hope of all who sincerely seek truth, justice, peace and fraternity.”
Pope Leo concluded his address with a message of hope from St. Paul VI at the time of his inauguration as pope in 1963: “May (hope) pass over the whole world like a great flame of faith and love kindled in all men and women of good will.”
Christ is the source of all our hope and joy. We need God’s help to carry out the work that we have been given by our Lord, who is “the ultimate hope.”
In Illo Uno Unum (one in Christ): We are either united in him, or we are divided and alone. “May these also be our sentiments,” Pope Leo prayed, “to be translated into prayer and commitment, with the Lord’s help.”
Dan Conway, a member of Holy Trinity Church, is a writer, consultant and stewardship educator.
