On Thursday, May 8th, the second day of voting in the Conclave, and upon the fourth ballot, minutes after a hungry baby seagull appeared with mother and father on the jumbotron focused on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, white smoke billowed from the smokestack.
Also, May 8th is the feast of Our Lady of Pompeii (a church built in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary), and Feast of the apparitions of St. Michael in a cave in Italy, a new pope was elected, so we can see Our Lady and St. Michael are interceding for the pope and the Church.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the first ever American pope, stepped out onto the loggia, taking the name, Pope Leo XIV, greeted by tens of thousands of pilgrims, visitors, and citizens of Rome.
He had a stately bearing, wearing the papal mozzetta (red cape) and stole, as Pope Benedict XVI had done upon his election in 2005. Pope Leo XIV spread his hands as a father welcoming his children. A microphone was set before him, and he spoke with only a slight accent in his Italian as he gave his papal address from a prepared speech, also as Pope Benedict XVI had done 20 years earlier. Then Pope Leo XIV gave his first address.
Bishop Kemme sent an email to priests saying: “With great joy and profound gratitude to God, I join the universal Church in celebrating the election of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. Born Robert Francis Prevost, our new Pope brings with him a remarkable blend of pastoral wisdom, deep missionary experience, and devoted service to the Church. As an Augustinian friar and the first American-born Pope, he has served the people of God across cultures and continents—from his roots in Chicago to the missions of Peru, and more recently in the heart of the Vatican, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. His years of work as a bishop in Peru and as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine have shaped in him a shepherd’s heart—one that listens, serves, and leads with humility. His recent role overseeing the appointment of bishops worldwide has shown his deep care for the future of the Church. We now look to him, our new Vicar of Christ, with faith and filial devotion. May Pope Leo XIV guide the Church in the light of the Holy Spirit, with courage, compassion, and fidelity to the Gospel.”
As we heard in last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus helped Peter to understand, that He is the chief shepherd of the Church. He asked Peter, the same question three times. “Peter, do you love me?” Each time Peter responds, “Yes, Lord you know that I love you.” Jesus tells Him, “Feed my lambs, tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.”
To feed the lambs, to tend the sheep and feed the sheep is what shepherds do, that is why the pope is the chief shepherd of the Church. As chief shepherd, the pope is to feed the people with the truth of the Gospel, passed down to us from Jesus and the Apostles. The pope is also to protect the sheep from the wolves of heresies such as modernism, communism and socialism.
Modernism promotes the idea that doctrines can change according to the times and so there are no moral absolutes, which is relativism.
Communism & socialism, promotes atheism, and affirms the doctrine of the community of goods and denies the right to ownership of private property. The pope is to warn the faithful of wolves who want them to lose their faith, their God given right to own property.
The pope is to protect the Church from schism, which is a deliberate separation from Church structure. He is to help the faithful to be loyal the Church and loyal to the pope, not departing from any Church teaching but to maintain unity.
The pope is to protect the faithful from apostasy, which is the abandoning of one’s Christian faith and principles. An example of an apostasy would be if a cardinal, bishop or priest states that public officials who promote abortion and or same-sex marriage, can receive Holy Communion, which contradicts Church teaching and is apparent there is a loss of faith among the clergy, which Our Lady of LaSallette predicted in 1846.
Jesus Himself is the Good Shepherd. Our Lord appointed Peter as the shepherd of the Church and his successors has the duty to care for and protect the sheep.
The pope is to maintain unity, preach the fullness of truth, safeguard the faith, and strengthen faith in Jesus.
When Jesus said, “My sheep, hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” He used a familiar example of shepherds and farmers who knew sheep follow them.
We hear the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, through the voice of the Church, which proclaims Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition in what is called the Deposit of Faith, that has been passed down to us from Jesus and His apostles, through the centuries unto today.
How much more tenderly does God love us and knows each of us by our name? Jesus used analogies of sheep to help His disciples and us today to come to understand that as our Shepherd, there are things He wants us to do and some things He does not want us to do. For example, He said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Jesus also does not want us sin, and wants us to be faithful to God. He wanted the early Christians to listen to the apostles and do what they would tell the Christians to do, as He said, “He who hears you, hears me.” (Luke 8:13). With these words, Jesus gave His authority to the apostles and their successors, who were bishops and priests so we would hear His voice through the Church in every generation.
Our Lord told Peter, our first Pope, “thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
These words remind us that the Church is indefectible and can never be destroyed. The Catholic Church, founded by Jesus on His apostles, will continue until Jesus comes on the clouds of heaven.
In the book of Revelation, those wearing white robes were washed in the blood of the lamb. They are washed in His blood through the sacrament of baptism, but also those who laid down their life for Jesus, as martyrs.
Beginning with Peter, did you know the first 27 out of the first 31 popes were martyred? All the apostles, who were the first bishops were martyred, except John.
Jesus is both Shepherd and lamb, who laid down His life for us. He wants the shepherds today, to do the same for the people, even as martyrs, if necessary.
Bishops and cardinals wear the red hat to remind them to be willing to lay down their life for the sheep. Red is a reminder of the shedding of blood, as martyrs.
Today is Mother’s day and also Good Shepherd Sunday, let us honor and give thanks to God, for our three mothers, our mother the Church, our natural mother and our Blessed Mother. May we never forget, we have three mothers and may we love them, cherish them and turn to them, in all our needs, and be faithful to them, because all three help us to obtain heaven, to be with Jesus, “The Lamb who is the center of the throne will shepherd (us) and lead (us) to springs of life-giving water and God will wipe away every tear from (our) eyes.”
And let us pray, for Pope Leo XIV, that the Virgin Mary will help him fulfill his role as chief shepherd of the Church, the vicar of Christ, feeding the people of God, the sheep, with un-compromised truth, passed down to us from Peter, our first Pope.