Lent, 2013, is marked by the journey of Cardinals from around the world joining the Cardinals resident in Rome for a conclave to elect the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. Cardinals are the clergy of Rome, each bearing the “title” of a Roman church. Mine is the Church of St. Bartholomew on the Tiber Island. I celebrated Mass there on the Fourth Sunday of Lent with Roman families preparing their children for First Communion and Confirmation. My titular church was built in 997, a thousand and one years before I became its titular pastor. It holds the relics of St. Bartholomew, one of the Twelve whom Jesus chose as Apostles and who was martyred for preaching who Christ is in the first century. It also contains the bones of St. Adalbert, the Archbishop of Prague who was the first to bring the Gospel to the Polish nation in the tenth century and who was martyred there for preaching who Christ is. The church has now become a shrine to the Christian martyrs -- Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant—of the twentieth century. Statisticians have figured that, in the first years of the twenty first century, every hour of every day, eleven Christians are killed for their faith somewhere around the globe. The keys of Peter, the authority given by Christ to St. Peter and his successors to confirm the faith of others (Lk. 22:32), are a gift from Christ to help us on the way to life with Christ here and salvation with him in eternity. The Bishop of Rome, where both St. Peter and St. Paul ministered and suffered martyrdom, receives the promise of Christ that what he binds on earth will be bound in heaven and what he looses on earth will be loosed in heaven (Mt. 16:19). The faith of St. Peter is a “rock,” a stable and permanent point of reference for the faith of the whole Church. Only the Pope personally holds the power of the keys, and the Church is bereft of one of the gifts of Christ when the See of Rome is vacant. As the Cardinals gather in Rome, they pray and they talk. We have spoken about many particular issues, but always from the vision of the faith delivered to the Apostles. From the mystery of the Church, which we profess to be “one, holy, catholic and apostolic” in the Creed, arises the ministry of the Church. The Church contains in her life and proclaims everywhere the destiny of the human race, because she is the body of the Savior of the human race. In the Church, we see eternal life struggling with the mystery of evil. In the conversation of the Cardinals, I hear echoes of that struggle around the world. The fraternity of the Cardinals is, for me, a prophetic sign that the Church is a communion in dialogue. When communication fails in the life of the Church, her mission is weakened and, eventually, destroyed. The question about whom to choose as Pope comes down to: who can best protect universal communion, including communion with the martyrs who have gone before us in faith and with Christ himself? After his resurrection from the dead, Jesus asked St. Peter: “Do you love me?” (Jn. 21:15). St. Peter had professed his faith to Jesus himself, but Peter failed to profess it to others when the mystery of evil was working to destroy Christ in his passion. Only when Peter professed his love as well as his faith did Jesus instruct him: “Feed my lambs.” The Church has only truth and love in the struggle with evil: the truth about who Christ is and the love for Christ that gives us courage in the face of evil. Whoever is chosen Pope must be a man of truth and love, of faith and charity. Faith in Christ and charity toward the world constitute the Church’s life. A Christianity fearful before the world loses its prophetic edge. A Christianity complacent with the customs of our times becomes a tired religion. A humble Christianity is not afraid, because it relies upon Christ’s promise to be with us always. God’s love is stronger than our “no,” and love always finds new ways to be merciful. The call for a New Evangelization, which will be taken up by whoever is elected Pope, will have us finding new ways to create coherence between faith and life and new ways to tell the world who Christ is. We will become new martyrs, witnesses to Christ in new times. I write this column the day before the Cardinals go into conclave. Perhaps it will be read after the new Pope is elected. In any event, it’s not too soon to pray for him now. I thank with all my heart those who have been praying for the Cardinals these past few weeks. God bless you. Sincerely yours in Christ, Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. Archbishop of Chicago