V

A coach is crossing t he Pennines between Yorkshire and Lancashire. It’s magnificent countryside in the north of England, but quite lonely. Suddenly the coach stops, the driver climbs out, vaults the stone wall into a field and heads towards a scattered flock of sheep. After a while he returns and explains to his puzzled passengers; ‘I spotted a sheep on its back. They can’t get upright again, and if you leave them they die. So I went and turned him over, that’s all. “

Now, I don’t know whether that story is true. I don’t even know whether it’s true that a sheep on its back can’t turn over; which is not surprising, as I’ve spent most of my life in London, and there aren’t many sheep in the capital.  But I do know that the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd has appealed to Christians from the earliest days of the faith. Moreover, it seems so appropriate on this Sunday, Easter 4, and in the light of the Gospel, that we think about what God and the Church are asking of our Chief Pastor, Pope Leo XIV.

The world mourned the death of Pope Francis because he had spoken to them in a way they understood. He came to be, not just the Pope for Catholics, but a Shepherd for all who would listen to him. I have been pondering those mysterious words of Jesus in John 10:16 

And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

These words are particularly precious to those of us in the Ordinariate, for we found in Pope Leo’s predecessor, Pope Benedict, a Pope who concerned himself with those who were not of his flock – who understood them and cared for them. Our new Pope, speaking to his fellow pastors, the bishops, said:

 “A bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom, but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them and to suffer with them.”

The Cardinals, in choosing the successor to Pope Francis were surely mindful of the role of the Pope – so needful in our modern world – of speaking truth to power.  Joseph Stalin is credited with the scornful question concerning the Pope’s power, ‘How may divisions does the Pope have?’ – and the answer is none – no army beyond the Swiss Guards in their colourful uniforms, no fighter jets, no nuclear missiles – only the two-edged sword of truth!

What a burden we have loaded on to the shoulders of Robert Francis Prevost who at the age when most people would be happily retired, now assumes the task of Chief Shepherd of the flock. He will only bear up under that immense responsibility if ordinary Catholics like you and me pray for him each day, love him and defend him.

We give thanks that we have a new Pope, a Chief Pastor, a Servant of the servants of God.