Local Catholics are learning, praying for Pope Benedict XVI

Since the children and teachers at St. John’s Catholic School in Russellville heard the announcement of the selection of the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church one week ago today, they have been busy learning about and praying for Pope Benedict XVI.

With arms outstretched to the world, Pope Benedict XVI celebrates his installation Sunday in St. Peter's Square during a Mass that drew an estimated crowd of 350,000. Related photos on the Picture Page

Former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 78, who was known as the Vatican enforcer of church teaching, was chosen as the new pope shortly after the nine-day mourning period for Pope John Paul II ended. The cardinals chose Ratzinger last Tuesday on their fourth ballot, an unusually quick decision. Before that day, however, the children of St. John’s elementary learned some of the details of the late pope’s life and leadership.

Patricia Yucra, the religion teacher at St. John’s, prepared a slideshow presentation featuring photos of the late Pope John Paul II. She provided information about the pope when he was younger so that the children could relate to him on a more personal level, she said.

“The children really liked to see the pictures of Pope John Paul II when he was a baby and of his childhood because they can relate to him that way,” Yucra said.

When the teachers heard of the pope’s death April 16, they came up with ways to explain it to the children the following Monday.

“We prayed for him (Pope John Paul II) and the college of cardinals,” Principal Robyn Bates said.

She said the students also made memorials for the late pope including cards and flowers. They performed a living rosary with a balloon release, followed by a prayer of peace.

“We read to the children out of the newspaper,” Bates said. “And we mourned his passing, but celebrated his life at the same time. We’ll continue to teach the children the lessons he (Pope John Paul II) taught us over the years.”

She said the teaching process of selecting a new pope will be ongoing for a while because the children have only known one pope in their lifetime, so the experience was new to them.

“It was very interesting to us as Catholics, and non-Catholics, to follow the process of when Pope John Paul II passed away and how the cardinals made the decision on who the pope was going to be,” Bates said. “They (the cardinals) went through the process very quickly this time, so we’re still talking to the children about that. And as we find out more information about our new pope, then we will share that information with the children. And we’ll remember him (Pope Benedict XVI) in our prayers every day.”

Several teachers at St. John’s said they weren’t worried that the decision to select Pope Benedict XVI was made so quickly.

“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Bates said. “The cardinals must have been very closely related in their thinking to have chosen him so quickly, and he must have impressed them greatly.”

Yucra said she felt ecumenical issues would be handled similarly under the new pope’s leadership.

“That’s what the world needs right now,” she said. “Pope John Paul II cared for the poor and the needy; those were his special interests. He traveled to other countries to witness, and I’m sure the new pope will do the same.”

Third-grade teacher Elsa Cole said, “We all want for anyone who is in a leadership position to have those Christ-like qualities, no matter what religion you are. I’m non-Catholic, but the children in my class and I were praying for the cardinals to have the wisdom to know who was going to be the most Christ-like. It was important for them to do that.”

Shortly after the pope had been chosen, the students of St. John’s could answer questions about the process, facts such as the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney signified that a sign the new pope had been chosen, that Ratzinger was the first German pope chosen in nearly 1,000 years. He is the 265th pope.

Many of the students learned that Ratzinger was a good friend to Pope John Paul II from their teachers, their parents or from the media.

“I know the new pope will follow in Pope John Paul’s footsteps and will be a great pope. He will travel around the world and tell people about God,” said Andrea Floriani, a student at St. John’s.

The Rev. Ernest Hardesty, pastor of St. John’s Catholic Church, said he believed Ratzinger is an excellent church leader and will make an excellent holy father.

“For 15 years, he (Pope Benedict XVI) has helped lay out how the doctrine will be interpreted,” Hardesty said. “So now that he is pope, I don’t believe he will change any of that.

“What he will do is provide an openness and leadership to our church that will reach out, evangelize and witness the faith to others and hopefully continue to spread the teachings of Christ.”

Hardesty said he hoped the new pope could bring “new life into areas where materialism and secularism are affecting Christian values.”

“The Lord was behind this choice,” he said. “Just as we say the Lord was behind it when John Paul II was chosen. He was chosen out of Poland, and that was shocking 27 years ago. Now look what has happened in 27 years. Communism has fallen in his own country.

“Back then, we saw communism as a threat to the world, and now its not. So, interestingly enough, Cardinal Ratzinger suggested the major treat in the world today is materialism, secularism and apathy. So he (Pope Benedict XVI) is saying we need to bring the spirit back to the people. And I believe that can happen.”