On May 7th, the Roman Catholic Church will begin its conclave to choose its next leader. 135 Cardinals will gather from across the world, representing roughly 1.4 billion Catholics.
The last conclave, held 12 years ago, elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, later Pope Francis. His was a papacy of firsts: the first pope from South America, the first from the southern hemisphere, the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th century, and the first from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). His tenure was defined by his emphasis on humility and caring for those on the margins. For those interested in encountering the Roman Catholic Church in this unique historical moment, we hope you will attend our annual Mass this Sunday at 5pm in Skinner Memorial Chapel. Fittingly, the officiating priest is a Jesuit, like Pope Francis.
More locally at Carleton, religious student groups are also choosing their new leaders, if in slightly less grandiose ways. The new board of the Jewish Students of Carleton was elected last weekend. The Druids will elect a new Archdruid this weekend, in addition to ordaining four Druids into the third order priesthood in an overnight vigil. The Carleton Archdruid will serve as the leader of the entire Druid community, spanning over 30 communities across the globe.
Religious leadership is different from other forms of leadership. While leaders in other capacities are often selected because they are effective or successful, religious leaders must be more than that. They serve as a representative of the best of their religion, articulated through their lives, their values, their words, and their actions.
This is a great deal of pressure, of course. Being Pope or Archdruid or even JSC President is not for the faint of heart. That’s part of why we are offering a new program to support aspiring religious leaders (deadline is Monday, May 5th). It also speaks to the importance of how we choose our religious leaders and who we choose. Because often, we are not just selecting someone to lead an organization, but to embody our most sacred commitments.
In my last congregation, a large mosaic towered over the front of the sanctuary. Originally built as a Christian Universalist church, it depicts Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. While the congregation was no longer exclusively Christian, and there were mixed feelings about the prominence of Jesus in the sanctuary, I always loved the message that mosaic sent. For the congregation’s Christian ancestors, Jesus was the perfect person, the embodiment of all that was good and true and sacred. And yet, he was not so proud that he could not wash the feet of his followers. True leaders, even Jesus himself, are humble, kind, and here to serve. They aren’t concerned about rank or hierarchy or power or wealth or ego, but about loving people and caring for them.
As we choose our religious leaders in this moment, whether at the conclave in Rome, the Council Ring in the Arb, or a ballot emailed out through google forms, may we remember what true religious leadership really is, and may we choose wisely and with love.
-Rev. Schuyler Vogel
College Chaplain