Marian Helper • Summer 2025 • Marian.org 3 Father Joseph Writes Then it happened. Out came the proto deacon who announced that the next pope will be Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. An American! Unbelievable! The Catholic world was shocked. The reactions of many Catholic podcasters revealed this. (Some of these were actually quite entertaining.) In the announcement of Cardinal Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, we were reminded that we serve a God of surprises, and that the saying, “The one who enters the conclave as a pope usually comes out a cardinal” (which simply means that the favorite never wins) still holds true. But what an historical conclave. There has never been an election of a new pope quite like this one. With the rise of social media as a legitimate source of news over the last 10 years, you had access to all kinds of information at your fingertips, such as how popes are elected and in-depth backgrounds of many of the electing cardinals. You could also listen to a variety of commentators talk about who they thought were the frontrunners for the papacy, while at the same time reassuring us that an American would never be elected pope. (Of course, I was of that opinion, too.) And the TV coverage, with those drone shots of the Vatican and the papal loggia, were incredible. I was personally overwhelmed by it all. But what especially moved me was reflecting on the importance of the moment. This wasn’t just another big event among other big events that occur in the course of time. It is that — but so much more. This is the election of the Vicar of Christ. The representative of Jesus on earth. Jesus is the invisible Head of the Church, while the office of the papacy serves as the visible sign of Jesus shepherding His flock. In other words, every time a pope dies and a new one is chosen, we are meant to recall the words that Jesus spoke to Peter in the Gospel of Matthew: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” This helps us to remember that the selection of a pope is not the same as electing the president of the United States or choosing the next head coach of your favorite sports team. A papal election has a far more eternal significance than a worldly one. So Pope Leo XIV is our new North American, Chicagoborn Pope. Thanks to social media, it’s amazing how we are able to learn so much so quickly about the man born as Robert Prevost. He has two brothers. He’s a White Sox fan. Tennis player. Wordle enthusiast. All these things are interesting but also significant, as they help make our new pontiff more tangible, especially for those of us who are familiar with life in the United States. I know the so-called “liberal” vs. “conservative” divide in the Church was reflected in some of the angst leading up to election of the new Vicar of Christ. It was a cause of concern for me, too. Will Leo XIV be progressive in the fashion of Pope Francis, or more traditional like many of the more recent popes? Time will tell. But whether he is going to be more like Francis or St. John Paul II, whether he is the pope you wanted or not, he is still the pope. The legitimate successor of St. Peter. That is something to rejoice about. Habemus Papam! And he’s made in the U.S.A.! That’s historic. Let us pray for our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, as he takes on this immense responsibility. May God bless you! HABEMUS PAPAM! “Father Joseph, MIC,” is the honorary title of the director of the Association of Marian Helpers, currently Fr. Mark Baron, MIC. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet live with Fr. Mark every Friday at 3 p.m. ET on Instagram, Facebook, and DivineMercyPlus.org. White smoke. A large crowd waiting in anticipation. The announcement from the loggia: “Habemus Papam!” There is nothing like it on earth. That’s what I thought as I was eagerly awaiting the announcement of our new pope.
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