April 20, 2005

"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" This question of Jesus in the Gospel was woven throughout Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's moving homily at the funeral Mass of Pope John Paul II. Perhaps this same Gospel passage was read yesterday at the conclusion of the Conclave when the Holy Spirit selected Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as our new Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"

With the Church all over the world, we are filled with joy at the selection of our new pope. Just as Jesus formed St. Peter and the other apostles into a unique apostolic collegium, a "college", so the successor of Peter, the Holy Father, and the bishops, successors of the apostles spread over the world, are so related with and to one another in a bond of unity, charity and peace. The Lord gave a new name to Simon; he named him Peter, the "rock" of the Church. Jesus gave to Peter the keys of binding and loosing, and established him as shepherd of the whole flock. Thus, Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Universal Church, is at once the visible source and foundation of unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful of the Church.

At Mass earlier today in the Sistine Chapel, our new Holy Father sai: "I turn to everyone with simplicity and affection, to assure them that the church wants to continue to build an open and sincere dialogue with them, in the search of the true good of man [humanity] and society... . I want to forcefully affirm the strong desire to continue in the task of implementing the Second Vatican Council."

We thank God for our new Holy Father and we pray for him strength, grace and peace so that he can be "the rock on which everyone can lean with assurance."

Today, the Risen Christ turns to us and again asks: "Do you love me more than these?" With full hearts we respond: "Yes, Lord, you know everything, you know that we love you." Jesus says to us, "Feed my sheep."

+ John F. Kinney

Bishop of Saint Cloud