This may be the wrong answer, but ....... perhaps the Holy Spirit gives us the shepherd we deserve, for a greater good.
For Catholics, human sufferings are, when made a sacrificial offering to God, who suffered and cruelly died on a Cross for us, are believed redemptive for our salvation and for those of others for whom we intercede, while enduring to the end.
There is no way the Church will avoid the path of Jesus to the Cross. The Church rather dreads but embraces the Way of the Cross, as our Lord and Savior dreaded, but chose to suffer and died for us.
Our Cross is not empty, nor should it be. It is everything when he is seen stretched out, open armed, upon it. It is our faith. Lord have mercy.
“perhaps the Holy Spirit gives us the shepherd we deserve”
I do not presume to know the will of God or the Holy spirit.
I just hope that this evil man is removed from the position of Pope and can do no further damage.
Thanks. I confess I’m feeling thick-headed today; I may be coming down with a cold.
That said, are you saying this Pope was elected to bring suffering to Catholics?
If your cross is not empty, they you are lost, still dead in your sins and there is no redemption.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.