“Nature abhors a vacuum”
3rd Sunday of Easter C
Cobh
4 May 2025
My friends,
Nature abhors a vacuum. As we ourselves and so does the Church – as it journeys through these days since the death of Pope Francis. Indeed, the emptiness we feel is compounded by our realisation of the enormity of the impact that Pope Francis has had not just on the life of the Church but also the prophetic voice he has been for the dispossessed and the migrants who roam the earth to find a home.
In the meantime, the search for a new Vicar of Christ is going among the 133 Cardinals entrusted with this responsibility. Their question is clear – Who, from our midst, is best gifted to lead the Church at this time?
In weighing up the pros and cons of the likely candidate – each of the cardinals have a personal spiritual responsibility before God to be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in making that decision. It requires a setting aside any personal ambition or desire for influence. Human speaking, we know such total personal disinterest is difficult. That’s why our prayer for them is so essential.
The cardinals have to balance the needs of the Church which is now truly global in character. The Church in Africa is vibrant and growing. The Church in Asia is equally vibrant but in a more varied way. The Church in Europe is truly struggling to set down new roots because of the strong sense of decline due to secularism. The Church in the Americas is very different – in South America it has sought to renew itself with its embrace of a theology of liberation: In North America it is different again – it has been deeply affected by the polarisation that has taken place during the Papacy of Pope Francis.
Their (cardinals) decision is an envious one. Uppermost in their minds will be the unity of the Church. That well known quotation is apt, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials, diversity, in all things charity.” St. Augustine et al.
The role of Pope is often referred to as walking “in the shoes of the fisherman” namely Peter. Coincidentally he features prominently in both our 1st and Gospel readings today.
In the piece taken from the Acts of Apostles he and the apostles were reprimanded by the Sanhedrin for preaching in the name of Jesus. Peter’s reply sets the tone for all who will walk in his footsteps.
“Obedience to God comes before obedience to men … we are witnesses …we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
In the Gospel reading the same Peter is to the fore in his leadership. Where he has led the others follow. He was the one who responded promptly and willingly to the invitation of the Risen Lord. Those who have walked in the shoes of the fishermen, barring a few exceptions, sought to listen to the voice of the Lord in caring for the flock. So too will it be the task of the one who will be chosen in the Conclave that meets this week. To a degree the Church holds its breath in hope and prayer for this gathering. The one chosen will be a man with flaws and failures but graced and blest by God with wisdom and courage to guide the Church through these turbulent times.
A journalist asked a Cardinal elector whether their choice would be between continuity and change. He replied, “The choice is not between continuity and change – the choice is to go forward – that includes both continuity and change. We never make a total break, and we never stay in the past. It’s both, it has to be both. That’s the life of the Church.”
