Outside of the year 1978, when two popes were elected in the space of just a few weeks, the election of a new pope is a rare occasion. I can distinctly remember what I was doing when Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis were chosen.
For Pope Benedict, I had just sat down in the Dukes dining hall at James Madison University when I noticed the news was tuned to Rome and the newly announced pope. When Pope Francis was chosen, I was in Jamaica on a mission trip with students from Old Dominion University and we listened over the radio. And when Pope Leo XIV was announced, I was sitting in the Pastoral Center in Richmond, watching a livestream alongside co-workers and Bishop Knestout.
These moments stand out to me as moments of hope, not just for the Catholic Church but for the world – hope for the man who emerges, hope for what the future holds, and hope for unity.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve found that the election of a new pope, especially an American pope, lead to moments of evangelization as well. I’ve had conversations about being Catholic that don’t normally come up in my day-to-day routine.
Some of those conversations are with people who have left the Church. At a recent family gathering, the topic of Pope Leo came up. There is a lot of variety in my family in terms of practicing the Catholic faith, as I’m sure is the case in nearly every family.
The conversation about Pope Leo was generally positive. Everyone was surprised that a cardinal from America was chosen. Everyone was impressed with his messages and prayers thus far.
Then, there was a conversation about what people are hoping for, and those hopes, or at least how we were describing them, started differing. People were taking their own desires and political views and applying them to his very new papacy – me included!
The whole conversation was fine, and in many ways, it was good as I heard the thoughts and hopes of family members who are not engaged in, or practicing, their faith. However, I walked away with one regret. I wish I had said that I am excited by Pope Leo’s love for Jesus Christ.
Between Pope Francis’ death and Pope Leo’s election, I was asked what we need in a new pope and I responded, “A pope who loves Jesus.” Whoever would be chosen, our Church, and the world, needed someone who loves Jesus. We’ve been blessed to have that throughout my entire lifetime and from what I have seen and read, it appears we have been blessed in that way again.
I wish that I had said this to my family members because I think that the conversation we had is a pretty typical one between family members who practice the faith and those who have fallen away.
We talk about issues and problems. Topics come up that are stumbling blocks or frustrations. Maybe, we’ll touch on personal things or events that have separated someone from the Church. It’s unlikely that we are going to change a family member’s mind on political or social issues over a beer and a hot dog in the backyard.
But as Catholics, there are two things we can do that will help family members see that the door to the Church is always open to them. The first is listening and actually hearing where they are coming from. Don’t try to solve their problems or convince them of why they might be wrong. Just listen and acknowledge what they are saying; hear them and show compassion and love.
The other thing is to talk about Jesus in an authentic and natural way – to mention our love for him, our foundation built on him, but not to be pushy. It’s why I wish that I had mentioned this in the conversation about Pope Leo.
There might be differences in what we hope for in the Church. But if we are approaching these conversations from our love of Christ rather than our own desires, it gives a stronger witness to friends and family.
When we are interacting with people who have left the faith, it’s better to start with the Lord rather than focus on what might be messy. Instead of getting caught up in issues and topics, politics and differences, we should have our eyes set on Jesus.
Andrew Waring has worked for the Diocese of Richmond since 2011 and has served as director of the Office for Evangelization since 2020. He is a graduate of James Madison University (B.A. in History) and Fordham University (M.A. in Religious Education). Andrew, his wife and their five kids attend St. Bridget, Richmond.