With the death of Pope Francis and the election of Leo XIV, the Church finds itself in a phase of transition. While much has been revealed about Leo XIV’s priorities and the direction the Church will take under his leadership, we Catholics believe that there is something bigger than the papacy – the mission that Christ entrusted to the Church. A papacy is at the service of Christ and the gospel.
In the homily I preached on the election of Pope Leo XIV, I had said that among other things, the unity of the Church was going to be a focal point of his papacy. I was not wrong. In his inaugural Mass homily he said, “I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world. In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest. For our part, we want to be a small leaven of unity, communion and fraternity within the world.”
Pope Leo’s words are very relevant in light of today’s scripture readings. In my three points, I would like to reflect on the Church’s mission in the times in which we live. In the Church’s mission we can find our own.
A Spirit of Dialogue
In today’s first reading we hear that the early church was caught up in a brutal conflict between those who claimed that “unless one is circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, one cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1), and those like Paul and Barnabas who had witnessed Gentiles receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit without the Mosaic practice. The doctrinal difference caused a crisis of disunity. It had the potential to disrupt the movement of the Holy Spirit and thwart the future of the Church.
The issue could have been resolved in many ways. But led by the Holy Spirit, the church dealt with the contentions in a spirit of dialogue. To resolve the issue, Paul and Barnabas along with the elders travelled to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they were welcomed by the Church in Jerusalem. Their opponents were also present at the gathering and got an opportunity to present their belief. Today’s reading tells us that, “after much debate had taken place” (Acts 15:7), the church came to a resolution. Peter pronounced the resolution: “You are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us (Acts 15:7-8).
In this context, the words of Pope Leo XIV are significant. He says, “We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ! Come closer to him! Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to his offer of love and become his one family: in the one Christ, we are one. This is the path to follow together, among ourselves but also with our sister Christian churches, with those who follow other religious paths, with those who are searching for God, with all women and men of goodwill, in order to build a new world where peace reigns!”
The present situation both in the church and the nation is not any less contentious. But we can find our mission stems both in the scriptures and the words of the new Pope. Whether citizen or undocumented, whether Christian or another religion, whether Black or White, whether man or woman, whether straight or LGBTQ – we must embrace a spirit of dialogue, conversation, mutual understanding, love, compassion, and peace. After all, our goal is unity, communion, and fraternity. Today’s scripture reading is clearly pointing out that this is the way of the Holy Spirit.
A Spirit of Inclusion
Historically, the gathering of the apostles, elders, and other leaders in today’s first reading came to be known as the Council of Jerusalem. Since then, there have been 21 councils – the latest being the Second Vatican Council. But let us return to the Council of Jerusalem for a moment. After much debate, Peter’s intervention that resolved the conflict was pathbreaking. I call it pathbreaking because it was an intervention in favor of inclusion. He said, God made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts.”
2000 years later, the 267th pope, in his inaugural Mass homily, said: “This is the missionary spirit that must animate us; not closing ourselves off in our small groups, nor feeling superior to the world. We are called to offer God’s love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people.”
These words are highly relevant as the “us and them” politics sweeps over the world and our nation. Politicians are politicians and it is in their nature and to their advantage to ‘divide and rule’. But the Church must be a voice of reason, of unity, of goodness, and of peace. However, the responsibility does not belong exclusively to the Pope and church hierarchy. I believe each one of us has a responsibility to reject the “us and them” dynamic. Every Christian, every Catholic, on a broader level believers of all faith traditions, and every humane person has a responsibility to reject the politics of hate, discrimination, and intimidation. Civil societies and the Church of Christ are not founded on fascist principles but on the principles of unity, communion, fraternity, mutual respect, and inclusion.
We have much to grow in this regard both in our nation and in the Church. But Pope Leo XIV is showing us the way. And I hope you and I will follow his way.
Led by the Holy Spirit
It is clear from today’s scripture readings that the early church was a Spirit-led Church. This openness to the Spirit was the key to the early Church’s inclusive pathbreaking decision. The final letter that came out of the Council of Jerusalem said, “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden…” (Acts 15:28).
In this context, hear the words of Pope Leo XIV: “With the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit, let us build a Church founded on God’s love, a sign of unity, a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made ‘restless’ by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity.”
In these words, I hear the Pope inviting us to let the same Holy Spirit that led the early church out of its crisis lead us too. We cannot be led by any other power other than the power of the Holy Spirit. As Pope Leo XIV stressed in the conclusion of his homily, “Together, as one people, as brothers and sisters, let us walk toward God and love one another.”
The Eucharist is a Sacrament – a sacrament of, in Pope Leo XIV’s words, “unity, communion, and fraternity.” As we participate in this Sacrament, may we be sacraments of unity, communion, and fraternity.
Image: Vatican Media
Fr. Satish Joseph was ordained in India in 1994 and incardinated into the archdiocese of Cincinnati in 2008. He has a Masters in Communication and Doctorate in Theology from the University of Dayton. He is presently Pastor at Immaculate Conception and St. Helen parishes in Dayton, OH. He is also the founder Ite Missa Est ministries (www.itemissaest.org) and uses social media extensively for evangelization. He is also the founder of MercyPets (www.mercypets.org) — a charitable fund that invites pet-owners to donate a percent of their pet expenses to alleviate child hunger. MercyPets is active in four countries since its founding in December 2017. Apart from serving at the two parishes, he facilitates retreats, seminars and parish missions.
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