“John, how would you fancy coming with us on a trip to Rome and Assisi?” This was the lovely invitation I received from my good friends and long-time Columban supporters Dave and Sue back in January 2025. Of course I jumped at the chance. “When would be best for you?”, they asked. We compared diaries and decided the most convenient date for starting the journey would be 8th May.
Thursday 8th May. Sounds familiar? It was the day Robert Prevost was chosen by the Conclave as the new Pope, taking the title Leo XIV. The cardinals had made their choice, but it appeared we’d stolen a march on them. We were already on our way to Rome!
I thought about this as we joined the crowds in St. Peter’s Square to await the first Sunday Blessing by the new Pope. I began to realize how we Columbans have had a habit of anticipating Papal events.
Take, for example, Leo’s predecessor, our beloved Pope Francis. In 2013 he’d inspired the world with his encyclical “Laudato Si”, showing how combined care of the natural and social environment – our “common home” – was a spiritual and human imperative. Yet, in many respects, Columban Fr. Sean McDonagh had already pointed out much of this over 20 years before in his seminal work, “The Greening of the Church” (1990).
Francis tirelessly emphasized the dignity and equality every person in society, irrespective of gender, class or ethnic background. He fostered greater participation in the Church by all men and women, not just ordained male priests, culminating in the 2023-25 Synodal process. However, in a way, Columbans had been doing the same for years. I remember that, when I arrived in what was to be my mission country of Peru in 1994, I was delighted to find how the Columbans were promoting lay involvement in liturgy, pastoral work and decision-making throughout our missions.
Indeed, a common refrain I heard during my time in Peru was along the lines of, “you Columbans, you were Francis before Francis!”
Meanwhile, back on our travels, we continued to find myself one step ahead of “Pope Bob”. (Incidentally, it hadn’t been lost on me that, not only had the new Pope been a friend and collaborator of Francis, but he’d also been a missionary at the same time and in the same country as myself – Peru.) On Saturday 10th. May we’d decided to join the multitudes praying at the tomb of Pope Francis in Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. As we were leaving, we noticed the police closing off the approach road to traffic. Soon, a small cavalcade arrived, escorting none other than the new Pope, who was coming to pay his respects at Francis’s tomb. We’d beaten him to it by 40 minutes !
Soon after, we left for the wonderful hilltop medieval town of Assisi, famous as the home and resting place of St. Francis (inspiration of the late Pope who’d taken the saint’s name as his own). Along with the other pilgrims we visited the tomb of St. Francis and the shrine of his companion in faith and vocation, St. Clare. We then proceeded to a third – and very recent – shrine: the resting place of Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991-2006), located in yet another church dedicated to Mary as Santa Maria Maggiore.
The story of Carlo Acutis – variously called a future “saint for our times”, or “the teenage saint” – is a fascinating one. He was born in London to Italian parents, who soon moved the family back to Italy, where the young Carlo grew up and was consumed by two passions – for Jesus and the internet. He became well known both as a “computer geek” and a catechist. He combined them by launching a Catholic website in 2004. The initiative culminated in an exhibition unveiled on 4th. October 2006, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi – just days before Carlo himself tragically died from leukaemia. Beatified in 2020, his canonization was planned for 27th. April 2025 during the teenagers’ Jubilee, but had to be postponed due to the death of Pope Francis the week before.
Later, we met one of the volunteers who accompany pilgrims to Assisi. He assured us they were eagerly awaiting the announcement of a fresh date for the canonization and the arrival of the new Pope at the shrine.
Once again, it seemed we’d anticipated a pontiff’s future move.
But that’s the Columbans all over. Always in step with the Papacy….and sometimes even a step ahead!
