The Cardinals, by an overwhelming majority, have fixed the date for the Conclave for
this coming Tuesday. They feel that they are ready to take the decisive step towards
the election of the new Pope. The common reflections in the Congregations, the information
exchanged between themselves, the dialogue in order to form a responsible, and personal,
judgment on those who would be most suited to this great task, have finally reached
an initial stage of maturation. As of Tuesday that discernment will become even more
challenging, because the “scrutinies” will address, in a certain sense, the "measure"
of consensus that can be reached about definite individuals. And this will continue
until a choice is made.
It is striking, when one considers the almost superhuman
responsibility that will be laid upon the shoulders of a human being! It is a responsibility
that does not consist simply in governing a complex institution, but, much more, it
involves guiding the religious, spiritual, and moral journey of an immense community
of believers spread across different continents; a community that is watched carefully
– often with positive expectations, but sometimes also with a negative attitude –
by many of our contemporaries who are seeking to discover the meaning of their existence.
The Gospel must be preached throughout the ages, for the salvation of all, to the
ends of the earth!
The Conclave, then, is an event that can be really understood,
and lived serenely and peacefully, only from the perspective of faith. The two leading
figures of the previous conclaves have given us an intense and unforgettable witness.
Pope John Paul II contemplated Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” in his poem “Roman Triptych”:
“All things are naked and open before the eyes of God, . . . the clarity of events,
the clarity of consciences." "You who see all things – point him out!" "He will point
him out." And the future Pope Ratzinger commented: "the patrimony of the keys handed
to Peter . . . To place these keys in the right hands: this is the immense responsibility
of those days."
By his extraordinary renunciation, Pope Benedict has led the
Cardinals to cross once more the threshold of the Sistine Chapel, to discern the one
who will be entrusted with the keys. Now, silently, but with profound understanding,
he is with all of us in prayer: “Spirit of God, who sees all things – point him out."