VII. Personal Observations: Holiness Over Time

The world we live in is impatient. Political leaders are judged by the “first 100 days.” Pundits look for immediate signals, critics demand instant proof. But the Church is not built on soundbites or quarterly reports. Holiness does not unfold on a stopwatch. It matures over time, through trials, crosses, and fidelity. To measure a pontificate after only three months is to misjudge the very nature of sanctity.

Holiness Ripens Slowly

When we look back across the history of the Church, we see that sanctity in leadership often revealed itself only gradually. Saint Peter himself did not begin as the bold leader who would die a martyr in Rome. He faltered, denied Christ, and even after the Resurrection still struggled with fear. It was only later, on the road marked by the question “Quo vadis, Domine?” that he was tried and found worthy. ¹

Peter asked, “Domine, quo vadis?” — “Lord, where are You going?”

Jesus replied, “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.”

Consider Blessed Pius IX. In the early years of his pontificate, he was regarded as a liberal reformer. Only later, after the revolutions of 1848, did his magisterium take its definitive shape, culminating in Ineffabilis Deus (1854) and the Syllabus of Errors (1864). ² Or think of Saint Pius X. He is remembered today for Eucharistic renewal, the condemnation of Modernism, and his reform of canon law. Yet none of these appeared in the first months of his papacy. They emerged over years of prayer and decision. ³

Even Leo XIII, whose name Leo XIV now bears, is remembered as a giant because of his corpus of encyclicals, especially Rerum Novarum. But this monumental teaching was not issued until 1891, thirteen years into his pontificate. ⁴

Courage in Bishops

We might also ask when bishops become courageous defenders of the Church. Take Bishop Joseph Strickland. For years he served quietly as a parish priest and then as a diocesan bishop in Tyler, Texas. It was only later, amid cultural storms and ecclesial controversies, that his voice became nationally recognized for its bold defense of the faith. ⁵ Holiness and courage ripen over time, often in response to circumstances that test a soul’s fidelity.

A Word of Caution

This does not mean we should withhold all judgment or fail to examine early actions. It means we must guard against extremes: the tendency to gloss over difficulties or, conversely, to fixate on flaws. Catholic commentators and influencers often lean toward both temptations, sometimes out of temperament more than reason. Journalists, too, thrive on controversy because it generates readership. These voices have their place, but they are not the ultimate measure of a pope’s sanctity or fruitfulness.

A Fair Measure

The truer measure of a pontificate is fidelity: does the pope hand on what he has received, in season and out of season? Does he preach Christ crucified, not himself? Does he shepherd the flock with humility, as a servant of truth? Those are questions that can only be answered over years, not days.

As friends on this path, we must remember that our own markers matter. For me, one such marker is the teaching office itself. If heresy were to be proclaimed in the magisterium, that would be a clear line. But even here, there are two parts to consider: the message or idea being taught, and the mechanics of implementation. The message must always conform to the faith once delivered to the saints. The mechanics, however, often involve prudential judgment, which can be wise or faulty, clear or clumsy. We should not confuse the two.

Reflection

So when we speak of Leo XIV’s “first 100 days,” let us do so with perspective. It may be a convenient headline, but it is not a fair measure of holiness. The Church thinks in centuries, not in cable-news cycles. What matters is not the rush of early opinion, but the long arc of fidelity. Holiness is revealed in endurance, and courage often blooms only under trial.

Turn a large ship, an element of lived experience, make ship turn a circle. Easier wy to correct a radical wrong, than go after individual problems. Natural attrition, people will die, have to event, church thinks in terms of centuries. Radical revolutionaries need year 0, new beginning

Vatican II had 50 yr, no jubilee, no graces, nada. History of the church says something about its significance.

Left didn’t want us to remember something prior.

God, just a blip. No necessary grace, that moment will not look back and recollect. Many don’t even read and reflect. Vatican myriad of one forgotten.

Ship will right, generations, our children, have afar greater understanding than we did at their age. Leo knows that. Meeting people, heretics and saints.

Leo Great met with a barbarian, did turn the tide.

Hopeful, similar character, repel the barbarians, do no harm

Notes

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