Pope Leo to be a shepherd for us all
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Pope Leo might even come to Adelaide should he visit Australia in 2028 says Archbishop O'Regan.
Pope Leo XIV has been invited to Australia for the 2028 International Eucharistic Conference and “Who knows, he might even come to Adelaide,” said Archbishop Patrick O’Regan after yesterday’s Sunday morning Mass at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral in Adelaide.
It will not be a first meeting between the two men however should the pontiff make his way to South Australia.
“I have met him several times as (on being appointed a bishop) we go to this thing called ‘baby bishop school’,” the archbishop said.
“That was 10 years ago and I was sitting next to him because we were in the same group for a little while. And I saw him again last October in a meeting in Rome.”
There had been a calmness and deep wisdom about Pope Leo on those occasions, recalled the archbishop as he expressed his joy at the news of the new pontiff who he said was a citizen of the world with great pastoral experience.
“We all woke up on Friday to the wonderful news of the election of Pope Leo and no-one one quite expected it to be so quick in one way. He wasn’t listed among the front runners so there was always that element of surprise, and when it sunk in people were thinking, ‘Wow what a great moment’.
Despite Pope Leo’s relative youth (he is 69), he will bring a wealth of human experience and wisdom to try and make sure the message of God is relevant to people today, and to allow them to flourish as human beings and as disciples of Christ the archbishop said.
“For us this is Good Shepherd Sunday (May 11). We have been focusing on what it means to have a shepherd in your life. The pope acts as a father to the whole church and just knowing we have a pope gives us a reassurance that he will be the one who shepherds us together.
“Sometimes he will be leading, sometimes he will be pushing but most times he will be with us listening, encouraging to show that we are not alone. And that’s what we celebrate today, that we have a shepherd in Jesus and this is his earthy representative.”
Choosing a new pope at last week’s conclave would have been reliant upon the many meetings (general congregations) between the cardinals – 133 of whom were eligible to vote – in the nine days of mourning for Pope Francis that preceded the conclave Archbishop O’Regan said.
“People often try to work out what we need at the moment and who might be able to fulfil that. No one is perfect and our prayers are with him because we think this is a choice God has given us as well.
“He (Pope Leo) has a calm and joyful prescience and a wisdom everyone is looking for. He is (now) in a different role and have to do things a little differently but he will do it with grace and hope and will bring people with him.
“He will say ‘We are in this together’.”
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