What do you hope we will find in our new Pope?
When people tell me that I would make a good bishop, I realize that many parishioners of many parishes say the same thing to their pastors. People love their parish priests. Period. Then I am quick to add, “I am not smart enough, not holy enough, and not confident enough. ” I mean it. I am not.
So, I guess I think that the new Pope should be smart, holy and confident.
When I asked a parishioner what he thought the Cardinal-electors should be looking for, he said that they should keep everybody in the whole world in mind, not just the Catholics. Charlie said the Pope needs to be a Pope for all people and good for all people, not just for us Catholics.
Father Peter Daly writes a good article (translate: one with which I agree) about what his hopes are for the next Pope. Just in case you don’t click your way to the entire article, here is some of what he says. Be aware that his article in printed in the National Catholic Reporter, known for its (far) left-leaning editorial slant.
Father Daly, himself a parish priest, hopes we get somebody who:
– has at least some experience as a parish priest
– is from a big family
– has a niece who has married outside the church and a nephew who has come out to him as gay
– has several strong-willed and outspoken biological sisters who have more than a streak of feminism
– has old friends who can remind him of the stupid things he did or impetuous statements he made in his youth
– has a sense of humor.
So do I. What do you hope for in the next Pope?
With Open Doors 
To be like St. Paul and be “all things to all people.” To be like you and St. Paul and not feel smart, holy, or confident enough. I really like your Paul VII prediction from your previous post.
I would love to see a combination of JPII and Benedict XVI! What better combination could there be!!!
And as far as Fr Daly, not sure what he is looking for….his words make my stomach turn.
My response to Fr Daly,
Fr. Daly, the pope is not the president of the US for which these things might factor in when making decisions for our country. We are talking about the pope who is INFALLIBLE and upholds the 2000+ year teachings of Jesus Christ…this includes morals! Thus, the pope’s family background matters not!
I just want to see RC Christians realize that there are a lot of Christians all over this world!! Have been studying Genesis this year and we all started with Abraham, and the Reformation’s been over for a while, so let’s do what Jesus said in scripture and make this world a kinder, better place!! I have hope, maybe stupidly, but hope and love!
Fr. Daly sounds like he has a heart like Jesus, while being very realistic with hopes for the new pope. As to one of the comments, papal infallibility applies to papal edicts, not infallibility of the man himself, he is still very much human, as our most recent pope has kindly shown!