5 Common Sense Rules for the Next Pope

Rest in peace Holy Father Pope Francis. May perpetual light shine upon you and may you have eternal rest. Amen.

With the passing of the pope it occurred to me that the next pope would have his own way of being the pope as they all have. But are there basic rules that he might consider adopting for this divisive moment in Church history? I believe he should start with these...

1. Think before you speak. Never give off the cuff remarks about anything other than the love that God has for us. Prepare your remarks in advance and only give written interviews so that your responses may be edited if needed.

2. Speak clearly and logically. Proclaim the Gospel and stick to the perennial deposit of faith: the body of revealed truth, encompassing both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, that the Catholic Church believes God has revealed to humanity. Reject ambiguity. Do not leave room for misinterpretation. Respond to sincere questions with timely answers that everyone can understand.

3. Avoid appearing in public on days when your heart is not in it for the right reasons. Never lose your temper and always avoid profane language or inappropriate jokes even if you are with people you trust.

4. Prioritize theology and spirituality in your message. Take a politically neutral stand whenever possible. Avoid associating with partisan agendas. The church doesn’t need new terminology or political catch phrases.

5. Embrace the traditional role of the Vicar of Christ. Resist ‘imposter syndrome’. You’re the pope, the successor of Peter just own it and play that role with dignity and pride as the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

These rules relate more to leadership style than personal agenda or whether one is liberal or conservative. My hope is that, along with holiness, these would be a litmus test or a basic set of criteria used in selecting the next pope.