Last week millions of Catholics breathed a sigh of relief while millions of others raised an eyebrow of concern—a new pope was elected.
In a surprisingly short time, the conclave selected Cardinal Robert Prevost to be the first pope from the United States. Each pope takes on a new name/title when he takes up his office. Now, Prevost will be known as Pope Leo XIV. Of course, he's the first American Pope. That is something in itself! But the bigger question is where will he lead the church? After two conservative popes, the recently deceased Pope Francis moved in a very liberal direction. It's expected that Leo XIV will likely do the same.
As protestant Christians, we don't have a pope. Yet, the pope leads 1.4 billion Catholic believers who assume they are Christians. The pope matters. So, how shall we think about this change? You've likely heard or read several things already. I'll tell what I'm going to do–pray.
Pray for His Salvation
Pray for the pope to be saved? That may sound shocking or uncharitably harsh! But the reality is that it is very hard to be a believer given official Catholic doctrine. Consider some examples:
“If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema,” (Canon 14, Council of Trent).
“If any one shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy pardoning sins for Christ’s sake, or that it is that confidence alone by which we are justified… let him be accursed,” (Canon 12, Council of Trent).
“No one can MERIT the initial grace which is at the origin of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can MERIT for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2027).
Notice that Christ alone is not only insufficient for salvation, but anyone who says so is "anathema"—condemned by the Church. Yes, they would agree that all of the believer's work is produced by the grace of Christ in them. Yet their work through life and the sacraments are necessary additions to Jesus' finished work for salvation.
But Paul makes it abundantly clear: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. . . . For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law" (Rom 3:23–28).
From start to finish, Jesus' life and work alone is able to save when we trust him. That trust produces good works (Eph 2:9–10), but those works never aid our salvation.
I sincerely believe that there are many in the Catholic Church who are saved despite the Church's official positions because they are trusting in Christ alone for their salvation on the last day.
And I'm praying the same will happen for the pope. I'm praying that he will have his eyes opened beyond his years of study in Catholic theology to see the gospel with clarity only God can give—that he might be genuinely be saved.
Pray for His Spiritual Leadership
The pope is often called "the vicar of Christ." This is a title which means that he is Christ's official representative on earth. Though no such position exists in the New Testament, if the pope was truly saved, imagine the potential of someone who truly sought to shepherd the flock like Jesus the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet 5:4). Could he shepherd without concern for political power or church business? Could he, through faith in Jesus, shepherd with humble, loving concern for the spiritual well-being of those in the Church?
More than that, if his eyes were opened to the pure gospel, consider the kind of change he might bring about in Catholic Church. Can you imagine what it might be like for God to so change the heart of the pontiff that he becomes a defacto Martin Luther, leading many in the Church to true faith in Christ? Imagine the glory that would belong to Christ if deep and lasting change came to the Catholic Church such that many came to true faith through the pope's conversion!
We may be tempted to laugh at such a proposition. Yet, consider God's work five hundred years ago in the reformation. Hundreds of thousands church goers heard the true gospel and came into Christ's kingdom for the first time. Revival came! And it can come again.
I often think of the end of Ephesians 3 and feel like I underestimate the heights of my prayers: "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" Eph 3:20–21).
Pray for the pope.
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