WHY I DON'T CARE WHO THE NEXT POPE WILL BE

By Tim Rohr

Earl Nightingale used to tell the story of a father who was a worthless drunk who had two sons. When the two sons grew up, one became a worthless drunk like his father and the other never touched a drink and was prosperous. One day the two sons were asked why they had turned out like they did. They both had the same answer: "What would you expect with a father like mine?"

You might need to read that again. But in short, one son used his father's failure as an excuse to drink and the other used it as a reason not to. 

So it doesn't matter who the next "Papa" (Pope) is. Oh sure, it will matter to many, but it won't matter to me. Nor should it matter to you, at least not in the context of the larger picture as to where you want your immortal soul to spend eternity. 

Our hope is in Jesus, not a pope. Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church, and that includes popes, pastors, and priests who raise hell. And besides, historically our Church does best when it's persecuted - even from within.

If we know our Faith, then nothing should surprise us, not even the demons within the heart of our Church - since that is where Jesus told us where we would find them: 

“When you see the desolating abomination spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, a person on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house, a person in the field must not return to get his cloak. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days. Pray that your flight not be in winter or on the sabbath, for at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be. And if those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened." - Mt. 24:15-22

So let's be one of the "elect." And that doesn't depend on who is pope. The next pope may even be the "desolating abomination." 

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As an aside, and for our reference, here are some solid teachings to keep in mind when we have bad leaders:

CATHOLIC OBEDIENCE MUST ALWAYS BE TO THE FAITH. 

Where there is a proximate danger to the faith, prelates must be rebuked, even publicly, by subjects. Thus, St. Paul, who was subject to St. Peter, rebuked him publicly.  - St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Epistle to the Galations 2:14 

When the Supreme Pontiff pronounces a sentence of excommunication which is unjust or null, it must not be accepted, without, however, straying from the respect due to the Holy See. - St. Robert Bellarmine 

All disciplinary authority, all obedience to a bishop presupposes the pure teaching of the Holy Church. Obedience to the bishop is grounded in complete faith in the teaching of the Holy Church. As soon as the ecclesiastical authority yields to pluralism in questions of faith, it has lost the right to claim obedience to its disciplinary ordinances. - Professor Dietrich von Hildebrand, The Devasted Vineyard (chicago 1973), pp 3-5 

Obedience to manifest error is sinful and the obligations to obey ceases once you are commanded to do some evil. Helping to destroy the Church in the name of "obedience" is also sinful. Blind obedience is not, and has never been Catholic (this is because true obedience can never conflicts with the will of God, namely that it can't contradict the Churches constant teaching). 

The history of the Church gives us several examples of saints who, in order to remain faithful, have resisted the Church authorities (and were even excommunicated ) who were wrong. Thus St. Godefrey of Amiens, St. Hughes of Grenoble and Guy of Vienne (who later became Pope Calixtus II ) wrote to Pope Pascal II who was wavering concerning "the investitures": "If, what we absolutely do not believe, you would choose another way and would - God forbid - refuse to confirm the decisions of our paternity , you would force us away from obeying you." (Bouix, Tract, de Papa, T. II, p. 650). 

We learn that St. Athanasius had to "disobey" Pope Liberius. But such apparent his "disobedience" was not real disobedience, but rather true obedience to the Church and it's constant teaching. 

In Summa Theologica, Q.33 Art 4, St. Thomas Aquinas makes it clear that we are bound to correct even his superior saying "if the faith is endangered a subject ought to rebuke his prelate even publicly. Hence Paul, who was Peter's subject, rebuked him in public, on account of the imminent danger of scandal concerning the faith, and, as the gloss of Augustine says on Gal. 2:11: "Peter gave an example to superiors that if at any time they should happen to stray from the straight path, they should not disdain to be reproved by their subjects". 

We become obedient to the Church and her officials only when we become obedient to the constant teaching of the church as taught by the Magisterium throughout the ages. If what is taught by an appointed servants of God (bishop, priest or Pope) is contrary to Catholic teaching then they are Not to be obeyed but even publicly rebuked (Titus 1:10) as they no longer speak on behalf of church but become representatives of their own novelty.