by John Sorce
john.sorce@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — As the Catholic Church continues to mourn the loss of Pope Francis, it also looks ahead to the upcoming conclave with anticipation.
The Leaven asked some archdiocesan Catholics for their thoughts on the conclave, their memories of past popes and their hopes for the future.
Q. Are you trying to keep up with the developments in Rome and in the days ahead, will you be following the preparations for the conclave?
“Yes, I’m following the developments with interest. I attended a packed Mass that our parish priest, Father Carter Zielinski, held for the Holy Father. I receive a daily message from a reliable Catholic news source.”
— Cindy Durbin
Parishioner of Sacred Heart, Emporia, and retired educator
“Yes, I have been following along on EWTN and I’m familiar with the process of the conclave. As a child growing up in the church, I have experienced the different processes that go along with the conclave.”
— Gary Washington
parishioner of Our Lady & St. Rose, Kansas City, Kansas, Knight of Peter Claver, and a police sergeant
Q. Have you watched the coverage of past conclaves on TV and do you expect to do so this time?
“I remember when Pope Francis’ papacy was announced. I was an eighth grader at Sacred Heart in Shawnee. During class time, we had televisions running, awaiting the announcement of our next Holy Father. It was something I never thought I would experience at such a young age, as I did not anticipate the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI. Experiencing the election of Pope Francis and seeing the excitement in the crowd in Vatican City was something I will never forget.”
— Molly McKeithan
parishioner of Sacred Heart, Tonganoxie, and advancement director at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, Lawrence
“I remember being shocked with the rest of the Catholic world when Pope John Paul I passed away after only a 33-day papacy in the late 1970s. When Pope John Paul II was elected, I remember the white smoke and all the celebrations. When Pope John Paul II passed away, I was teaching in an Emporia public school. All classrooms had televisions, and I watched his funeral Mass most of the day.”
— Durbin
Q. Can you remember the first time you heard a pope had been elected? Which pope was it and what was that moment like for you?
“Pope Benedict XVI was the first pope election I remember in my lifetime. I was a baby when John Paul II was elected in October of 1978.”
— Michaela Comstock
parishioner and communications coordinator at St. Ann, Prairie Village
“The first time I heard about a new pope was with St. John Paul II and even [though] I was little, I remember my parents being so excited and talking to us about the white smoke, which made more sense to me when I saw it with Pope Francis. I remember that I was so excited and amazed to experience that.”
— Veronica Olivarez
parishioner of St. Paul, Olathe, and director of religious education at Good Shepherd, Shawnee
Q. What qualities do you hope to see in the next pope?
“In today’s world of constant distraction and instant gratification, many young people have lost their sense of wonder and don’t realize the beauty and necessity of our faith. I want the next pope to have a love of the beauty and wonder of the Catholic faith and show the world that this isn’t just a set of rules to follow, but rather an exciting, intricate and wonderful love story between the soul and Christ.”
— Charles Rziha
parishioner of St. Benedict Church in Atchison and senior at Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Atchison
“I hope that the new pope would never allow political and nonspiritual points of view interfere with any decisions he would have to make.”
— Winder McConnell
parishioner of Sacred Heart, Tonganoxie, and former professor of German at the University of California-Davis
Q. Do you find the conclave a good chance to learn more about the church and the history of our faith?
“Yes, a lot of non-Catholics have had a lot of questions, and it has provided an opportunity for teaching and evangelization.”
— Andrew Tomsche
parishioner of Sacred Heart, Emporia, and campus missionary director of Didde Catholic Campus Center, Emporia
“Yes, conclaves do not occur very often so when they do, it is a time for pause to reflect on our faith, and in particular, papal succession.”
— Gus Torrez
parishioner of Most Pure Heart of Mary, Topeka, and retired IT employee for the state of Kansas
Q. Is there a particular pope — past or present — who has deeply inspired you? What about him moved you?
“Pope Francis has been one of my greatest inspirations in faith. He has loved the outsider and has found ways to make them feel seen, known, heard and loved. As many young Catholics leave the church every year, I found his message of love and acceptance to bring hope. He has helped many people, like me, feel like there is a place for them in the church and that the time, talent and treasure that they have to offer are gifts from God that can be used to glorify him.”
— McKeithan
“The pope that has most inspired me, along with countless others, is my patron and namesake, St. Pope John Paul. This holy man had a passion, fire and love for Christ that was so visible to all that he encountered. He showed to millions of young and old Catholics that ‘it is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you.’”
— Anna Rziha
parishioner of St. Benedict, Atchison, and junior at Maur Hill-Mount Academy
Q. If you could sit down for five minutes with the new pope, what would you say or ask?
“I would tell him to continue to promote peace, love and unity. I think we really need peace right now, in terms of where we are at in many areas in the world, and we need to have a strong, dedicated and committed religious leader. We are also losing young people, and I would want to discuss some strategies that we could do within the church to reclaim some of those young people who were raised as Catholics but are no longer practicing the faith.”
– Washington
Q. Do you think it’s important for the next pope to come from a particular part of the world? Why or why not?
“I do not think it is important for the pope to come from a particular part of the world. We are Catholic, which means that we are universal. The fact that the pope could come from basically anywhere is an aspect that I think really displays that universality. If it is God’s will that a certain cardinal should be the pope, then it truly does not matter where he is from.”
— Clare Trotter
parishioner of St. Benedict Church, Atchison, and junior at Maur Hill-Mount Academy
Q. If it were up to you to choose the name of the new pope, what name would you ask him to take and why?
“If the pope asked me to choose his name, I would ask him to take the name of Joseph. I say this because Joseph was the protector of the Holy Family and was Christ’s earthly father. This is significant because for our church today, the pope is the ‘head’ of our church, our Holy Father, just as Joseph was the head of his family, the Holy Family. Both of their roles are to protect their families, and to guide them to the truth.”
— Anna Rziha
