Time to Get to Work: Pope Leo XIV and Evangelization

(Photo: Vatican Media)

Imagine for a moment you were made a bishop by Pope Francis in 2015.

Now imagine you were made a cardinal just two years ago in 2023.

Now imagine your boss, Pope Francis, just recently passed, so you’re quickly ushered to the Vatican to help elect the next pope.

You’re thinking there’s no possible way you’ll be elected. You haven’t been around all that long. You’re just a simple missionary priest at heart. You’re also an American, for crying out loud.

Now imagine your brother cardinals elect you as the successor to Peter, the 267th Pope.

What?!

And, all of a sudden, they’re asking if you accept the new role, and if you do, if you’ll kindly step out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and address the entire world — a world certainly clinging to every word you’ll say.

Can you imagine the whirlwind that would be? You’d only be able to say the few words heaviest on your heart, the words the Holy Spirit had firmly planted there.

Such was the case for Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV.

His first address (chef’s kiss by the way) deserves our attention.

He didn’t say much, but he did say this: 

“We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs his light. Humanity needs him like a bridge to reach God and his love. You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace.”

And this: 

“Thank you to my cardinal brothers who chose me to be the Successor of Peter and to walk together with you as a united Church searching all together for peace and justice, working together as women and men, faithful to Jesus Christ without fear, proclaiming Christ, to be missionaries, faithful to the gospel.”

And this in particular: 

“We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone…”

Notice the common threads?

“Bridges.”

“Dialogue.”

“Peace.”

“Mission.”

What is very clearly on our new Holy Father’s heart is the missionary work of uniting people to Christ. Evangelization, if we had to use just one word.

In my last column, I wrote about Pope Francis's achievements in steering the Church away from maintenance mode and squarely into mission mode. Based on the tiniest snapshot we have thus far, the Holy Spirit could be propelling the Church deep into mission mode. 

Luke 5:4 comes to mind, when Jesus tells Simon (coincidentally the first pope), “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

It’s time for the Church to put out into deep water and let down our nets. The world is as hungry as ever for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our methods of evangelization are as sharp as they have ever been in our 2,000 years as a Church. The Truth is as sturdy and attractive as ever.

It’s time to build bridges with those in our close proximity: our family members, neighbors, coworkers, fellow parishioners, etc. It’s time to bring Jesus into our day-to-day dialogues. It’s time to point our restless, divided society to the peace they’re turning every rock over to find.

It’s time to be a missionary Church.

To echo Pope Leo XIV, “You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace.” You are needed! You are a part of the missionary Church. You have something the world around you needs. 

Will you lower your net for a catch?

Will you bring Jesus into your daily conversations?

Will you give witness to the peace you have found?

And will you continue chasing the source of that peace, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

We are at the dawn of a new church moment. It’s time to get to work.