by Deacon Leon Suprenant
The recent passing of Pope Francis gave me a wonderful opportunity to reminisce.
During Easter week 20 years ago, our beloved Pope John Paul II (“JPII”) was at the threshold of death. I was a lay representative at a conference for religious at Mundelein Seminary in Chicago that week. It was a singular privilege to pray for our Holy Father during his final days.
He passed away on Easter Saturday, April 2, 2005.
JPII was pope for a very long time. We had not had a conclave to elect a new pope since the 1970s. It was hard to gauge how long it would take for the cardinals to select the next successor of St. Peter.
While this was unfolding, I went away to a planning meeting at a quiet location. We weren’t to be disturbed, but that day — April 19, 2005 — I received a call, advising that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was just elected the 265th pope.
I was also advised that I needed to fly to New York immediately to appear on CBS’ “The Early Show” the next morning.
I was selected as someone who might be favorable to Cardinal Ratzinger’s election. They also had on the panel two people who opposed him. When asked for my reaction, I said I was “elated.”
Just a couple months before all of that took place, on Jan. 15, 2005, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann succeeded Archbishop Keleher as our shepherd here in Kansas City.
A few weeks ago, I received an early-morning email advising that Bishop Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Missouri, would be succeeding Archbishop Naumann as our next archbishop. The timing was a little challenging, coming on the heels of the brutal murder of one of our priests and only days before Holy Week.
Still, I was elated. Why?
It wasn’t because I was eager for Archbishop Naumann to retire. On the contrary, I can’t imagine ever having a better shepherd.
It also wasn’t because Bishop McKnight had been on my “short list” of “preferred” new archbishops, even though I’m very grateful we got him.
Rather, the reason I am elated by the appointment of Archbishop-designate McKnight — and why I was elated by the election of Cardinal Ratzinger 20 years ago — is that we are able to see “apostolic succession” in action.
God promised through the prophet: “I will give you shepherds” (Jer 3:15). He is true to his promises in every age.
We have been blessed with extraordinarily good shepherds, and now we pray for our next pope and archbishop.
