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The period of 40 days leading up to Easter, known to many as “Lent”, is a precious time for the church. It is a season to reflect upon one’s spiritual walk: to fast from earthly pleasures, embrace a sprit of charity, and to be refreshed by a deeper commitment to prayer. A mere few days before Lent began, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI made a startling announcement: he shared that he “repeatedly examined his conscience before God” and has come to the serious and difficult decision that he will be stepping down as pope effective February 28th, 2013. The College of Cardinals (over a hundred Cardinals from all over the world) then entered into a conclave to elect a new Bishop of Rome. The cardinals cast their carefully discerned vote, and a chemical added to the burned ballots create the much-anticipated smoke from the roof of the Sistine Chapel. In Rome, shortly after 7pm on the 13th of March, millions of eyes witnessed the clear sign that a new leader has been elected: white smoke.
“Habemus Papam!” (latin for “We have a pope!”) instantly rampaged through the news and social media. An hour later, the 76-year-old Jesuit priest, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Argentina emerged from the Vatican’s balcony, greeting the faithful gathered and humbly assuming his new pastoral role. He is the first Latin American pope; in fact, the first non-European in over 1,000 years. In his first papal address, Pope Francis (Bergoglio’s chosen name after St. Francis of Assisi) urged the Church to be united by the spirit of fraternity, wrapped in love and trust and strongly aided by prayers for one another. The new pope meekly petitioned for prayers from the faithful gathered as he accedes his new role, both as a leader and as a servant to the 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide.
So what does this mean for Christians and non-Christians alike? It may be too early to tell, but there is no doubt that this is a marvelously exciting time for the church and for the world. A largely influential man, Pope Francis has the potential to instigate change. Will Pope Francis take after his predecessor, tweeting as @Pontifex on twitter (Pope Benedict’s previous tweets has since then been archived)? Or will he be the first pope with an Instagram account? He’s also been known to take public transit in his native Argentina. Perhaps one day you’ll run into him on the train.
Easter is only two weeks away. The culmination of the 40 days of preparation by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving directs the hearts of believers to the momentous celebration of Christ’s victory over death. It is a time of renewal. And what better time for the church than this? If you are one of those people who go through a yearly “spring cleaning”, perhaps this year you can join in on this long held tradition. Use this time to examine your life and reflect upon life’s hardest questions.
You never know what changes may come!
Easter is not just about egg hunts and chocolate rabbits. Read the Easter Story here.
