If you say no, then please don’t answer that—just keep it to yourself, thank you.

We now Habemus Papam—Pope Leo XIV. Many are asking that same question: Will he be a good pope? Is he a good pastor? 

That’s a tricky question because we all have different opinions on what makes a person “good.” Some base it on moral character. Others on talents and abilities. Others on whether or not their thinking aligns with theirs.

The same was true for Jesus. A few verses before the gospel of today he told the religious leaders “I am the good shepherd.” They weren’t convinced. Their definition of good did not fit what they saw and heard from him.

They were thinking of goodness the way we often do: as an opinion based on preferred qualities. Their point of reference was King David, not because of his mora character—he wasn’t always honest or loyal. He committed adultery and then tried to hide it through murder. But people overlooked that because he was a good administrator and a brilliant strategist. He defended the faith at all costs, and through his leadership, brought economic and military stability to Israel.

That is what they longed for now that they were under Roman occupation, someone to rule with an iron fist. This is how they pastored, too. For them, being a good shepherd meant enforcing religious laws at any cost, even with threats and punishments.

So when they see Jesus do things like show mercy to sinners, not condemn those caught in adultery, and say things like “to Cassar what is of Cesar” instead of standing up against the institution, no wonder they doubted his claim to be a good shepherd. 

What then makes Jesus good?

It’s not because he was willing to lay down his life for others. As heroic as that is, anyone can do that—and for any cause. ISIS suicide bombers lay down their lives for extremist ideologies. In the 1960s, Buddhist monks lit themselves on fire during Vietnam War protests. And all of you who are mothers—you lay down your lives every time you bring a child into the world. And for that, we your children say: Thank you. Happy Mother’s Day!

Jesus is also not the Good Shepherd merely because he goes after the one lost sheep. As noble as that is, many people dedicate their lives to helping others. That quality isn’t unique to Jesus either.

What makes Jesus the Good Shepherd is revealed at the end of today’s short gospel: “The Father and I are one.” No one else in history—no matter how good we think they are—can say that. Jesus reveals to us the source of goodness, the relationship in the trinity.

The unity of the Father and the Son is manifested in the Holy Spirit, which reveals the love of God. Goodness then is divine love, so for Jesus to say “I am the good shepherd” he is saying “I will lead you to the love of God.”

That’s the mark of a good shepherd—someone who leads you God, and the closer we are to God, the more we are transformed because that is what love does, transforms us. In return, we ourselves are then capable of also being good like God is good, loving.

This is what Jesus asks of his new generation of priests and pastors. But it takes a willingness to hear his voice in them.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and the disciples preach the Word of God first to the Jewish people. Some believe, like Paul himself, but many do not. So Paul says: “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. But since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.”

What he means is not that God gives up on anyone, but that God offers life continually to everyone. God doesn’t divide people into worthy and unworthy. God’s concern is for every person, created in His image. The offer of life is always present. All we have to do is accept it.

And where does that offer lead us? To Jesus—the source of life, who remains with us in the Eucharist, the Bread of Life.

So, what makes a good pastor?

For us Catholics, it’s someone who helps you grow in your understanding of Scripture and brings you closer to the Eucharist—which is the manifestation of God’s love. That’s our mission. God does the rest. He meets you where you are. He convicts your heart. He brings about the conversion.

Am I a good pastor?

I try to be. I pray that I may learn to do that every day. And I know I still have a lot to learn. But the longer I am a priest—the more I enter the lives of you, my parishioners—the more I feel my heart being drawn to the Eucharist, and to the desire to be in union with the universal Church. Every day I realize: I have nothing of my own to offer, except to point you to the One who offers everything.

That’s something Pope Francis taught me. All of my priestly formation happened under his leadership. People debated whether he was a good pope, using the same human categories: He wasn’t clear enough on doctrine… he focused too much on progressive issues… he divided the Church.

But to me, he was a good shepherd. He led me closer to God’s love through mercy.

Will Pope Leo be a good shepherd?

It’s only a few days and already there are countless of opinions, people making judgments based on political leniencies, based on their own preferences. But the role of the papacy is beyond that, he hold a primary role to lead all people to the love of God, so we simply pray that he will and be open to recognizing that even if the “methods” might be different that what we consider ideal or “good”.

How about you… Are you good parishioners?