When Father Christian Lindenbach was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Regina four years ago, he did not imagine he would find himself in Rome pursuing graduate studies as a new pope is chosen.
“I hope I am not in a class when the smoke rises,” he says near St-Peter’s square. “When the bells start ringing, there is a group of us from Canada that will start running to the square to witness it all. It is a unique opportunity for a guy from Saskatchewan to see the election of a Pope in Rome, so I will definitely take advantage of it.”
His expectations for a successor to Pope Francis are sky high.
“What I would hope for is a saint,” he says. “ Someone who knows how to speak to the world, to engage with the world as Francis did.”
Tour groups from around the globe mix with the faithful carrying crosses on a pilgrimage near the Vatican. Rumours swirl as to which Cardinal may be favoured to lead the more than 1.4 billion baptized Catholics worldwide. Many questions have emerged about how a successor would handle difficult challenges for the church, such as the continuing fallout of sexual abuse scandals, and the role of women.
Lindenbach says the new pope will face complex questions, as well as wars and conflict. But he is not putting forward any names for the cardinal he believes should emerge from the Conclave as Pontiff.
“Even with the election of Francis, you could have read the draft pick of the Vatican, and he was nowhere near the top. One thing I have learned is that the Spirit works in mysterious ways, and that God will give us the Pope the world needs, not necessarily the one we expect.”
