Prayers for our Church at a pivotal moment

Today the conclave begins to choose the 267th pope. We pray for an overflow of the Holy Spirit to be poured on our brother cardinals as they take up their responsibility. May they keep their hearts open to the realities and to the sufferings of humankind, and to our hopes and dreams for the future. May they feel the prayerful support of the faithful around the world as they discern who will lead our Church. The cardinals need our prayers, and we invite you to use this link to be randomly assigned a cardinal for whom to pray. 

As we remember Pope Francis and give thanks for his life and legacy, DD staff member Anna Robertson recently delivered a eulogy for Pope Francis at St. Joseph Parish in Seattle. She reflected on how he continuously pointed us toward the God of mercy and encounter:  

Over the course of his papacy, Pope Francis reminded us over and over again that our God is a God of mercy and encounter, who personally welcomes us sinners with open arms and no questions asked, and who in turn calls us out of ourselves and to the peripheries—to the poor, suffering, and oppressed. He leaves us with a Church that, through synodality, is better capable of accompanying each of us in our own calls to mission—which is what the Church has always been for. His legacy invites us not to venerate him but to follow where he pointed: toward a God of mercy who calls us to the peripheries, and a Church where power serves rather than dominates and where all—todos, todos, todos—have a place and a home.

The Miami Herald published my reflection on the impact of having met Pope Francis following the opening Synod Mass in 2021: “He was delighted to meet women from Canada, U.S., Brazil and Bolivia working together—exactly the bridge-building across the Americas the Synod aspired to encourage.” It is my hope that a new pope will continue to unlock the potential of women’s gifts for ministry. As I wrote, “Hidden in plain sight are a new generation of Mary Magdalenes, Phoebes, Clares, and Frances Cabrinis—women of courage and commitment who stand ready to proclaim good news, create conditions for peace, and defend God’s dream of a world where all can flourish.”

Lisa Amman reflected on Pope Francis’ distinctly diaconal legacy – beginning with his washing the feet of those who are incarcerated, to ensuring his private bank account was left to those who are in prison.

“The Church,” Pope Francis wrote, “sees in the permanent diaconate the expression and, at the same time, the vital impetus to become a visible sign of the diaconia of Christ the Servant.”

For those of us in the Discerning Deacons project, these words are a blueprint. We believe, as Pope Francis did, that deacons embody the Church’s call to be synodal—to walk together, to listen deeply, and to share responsibility for the life of the Church. Deacons call forth the gifts of the baptized. They nourish those who are tired, accompany those who are grieving, and uplift those who have been overlooked or cast aside.

Pope Francis initiated processes and set in motion paths of renewal that others would be called on to continue and fulfill. He placed his hopes in the Holy Spirit working within each of us to shape the future together. May we honor his legacy by continuing to trust in the Way as it is revealed through encounter, listening, and discernment.