Next Wednesday, May 7, the old, unassuming wooden doors of the Sistine chapel will slam shut and a skeleton key will slowly be slid out of the keyhole. But before that happens, before the conclave begins, there will be one last call for all non-cardinal electors to leave the chapel with the Latin words “Extra omnes,” or “Everybody out!”
Everyone who should leave will leave except for the elephant in the room.
It will remain as the source of an awkward silence pressing in on the collective conscience of the men who stare into eachothers' eyes. It will be especially bothersome to the men who avoid eye contact, the men who deny that elephant is present.
What is this mammoth unspeakable issue, this elephant in the room?
It is the impending schism which has been brewing below the surface, in the Church. It might finally go public, exposed and naked for all to see should the cardinals choose poorly.
One man has the proven spiritual strength and hard earned wisdom bled through many years of persecution and suffering to stop it.
The 93 year old master of Salesian spirituality is in Rome making his last heroic stand amidst the stormy chaos and division in the Catholic Church.
His wisdom rivals that of Confucious. His name, Zen, means ‘peaceful and calm’ but make no mistake, he is like Jesus, a subversive character and rare warrior blood runs through his Chinese veins.
He is the Catholic Yoda figure, holding his staff and staring into the eyes of the cardinal electors as they enter the Sistine chapel, imploring them one last time, "Wisely, you must choose".
As a fierce defender of freedom in communist China, Zen has always seemed to echo the words of our Lord, the Lion of Judah, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword”.
Recently, he was arrested by the CCP for his efforts to defend democratic principles. This was after the disgraced, defrocked Cardinal McCarrick made a secret deal with the CCP on behalf of the Francis pontificate. Many saw that act as tantamount to throwing Zen and the underground Chinese Catholics under the bus. Cardinal Zen resisted this publicly and with gusto as he said, “It will kill our church!”. He has battle scars from taking on both the Vatican and the CCP.
While he’s too old to be a part of the conclave, he has made an extraordinary effort flying over 15 hours to get to Rome in time to participate in the general congregations and the spiritual preparations.
He knows very well that there’s an elephant in the room. He’s been sounding the alarm about a schism in China for most of his time as a bishop and later a cardinal in enemy territory.
Five years older than the late Pope Francis, at 93 Zen lives on and his presence in Rome speaks volumes. His message is one of hope. Shortly after he arrived he posted in English,“Today, we celebrated the Holy mass in the crypt of St Peter’s Basilica, offering special prayers for the Universal Church and the Church in China!”
Right now, his priority in Rome is the same as always: praying to God. “Let us unite in prayer for the conclave."
His prayer intention is for unity and stability in the Church. He sees this moment for what it is. He understands that the stakes are very high. That's why he said, “The Church and the world have arrived at a most turbulent moment in their histories which are intimately related”.
The Zen message of ‘peace and calm’ is the secret, prophetic message on the holy man's shield.
There is a scene on Cardinal Zen’s coat of arms. It is a one of a kind coat of arms depicting one of Saint John Bosco’s famous, prophetic dreams. There are two pillars coming out of the sea. On one stands Our Lady, Mary and on the other stands a monstrance containing her Son, Jesus in the Eucharist. According to Bosco’s dream, a Pope dressed in white steers a ship (the Church) through a violent storm.
Assailed on all sides by the arrows and cannon shot of enemies it finally reaches the waters between the pillars and the pope has the ship tethered to the pillars. When this happens the storm abruptly ends, the enemies flee, and the turbulence subsides.
The message is one of hope because it also features a large anchor. The hope is that at some point, when the church finds itself in peril, there will emerge a Holy father to bring back order peace and calm, saving the crew and the ship from the jaws of death.
This is everyone’s prayer; that the Church seek the stability of Mary’s motherly embrace and the peace which pervades the Eucharist during these nine days of prayer in this Marian month of May.
Will the next pope be the one from Bosco's dream,and Zen's shield? Will a leader emerge, anointed by the holy Spirit to finally calm the storms and mend the tears and schism in the net that holds the Church together.
Yes, but only if the cardinals heed the words of Cardinal Zen. Only if they choose wisely.
Cardinal Zen's Coat of Arms...
