Papal trips have become characterized by papal press conferences, and Pope Leo indicated this December 2, returning from Turkey-Lebanon, that he will continue the tradition.
The large number of countries represented by the press on board usually means that the pontiff is asked about a variety of global situations, and personal ones, too.
This afternoon, one journalist observed that -- just over 6 months into his papacy -- we still haven't heard much about what he felt in the conclave.
The question was asked by Cindy Wooden, an American from Catholic News Service, who will be retiring soon.
This gave the Pope a chance to answer with humor: "Well, my first comment would be that just a year or two ago, I too thought about retiring someday. You have received that gift [of retirement] apparently; some of us will continue to work."
He went on to say that he believes "very strictly about the secret of the Conclave," but did reveal that his attitude before the vote and even during it was, "‘Everything is in the hands of God.’ And I believe that profoundly."
But then he offered another insight:
One of you -- there is a German journalist on here -- who said to me the other day, tell me one book, besides St. Augustine, that we could read to understand who Prevost is [the Pope's birth name is Robert Prevost, ed.]
And there’s several I thought of, but one of them is a book called The Practice of the Presence of God. It’s a very simple book, by someone who doesn’t even give his last name, Brother Lawrence, written many years ago.
But it describes, if you will, a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead. If you want to know something about me, that has been my spirituality for many years.
In midst of great challenges, living in Peru during years of terrorism, being called to service in places where I never thought I would be called to serve to. I trust in God, and that message is something that I share with all people.
So what was it like [in the conclave]? I resigned myself to the fact when I saw how things were going, and I said that this could be a reality. I took a deep breath, I said, "here we go Lord, you’re in charge, you lead the way."
What is this book?
The Practice of the Presence of God is a spiritual classic, beloved at least in part because it is very short and accessible. (The link in this paragraph leads to a free pdf version of the book.)
Many writers of all sorts of spiritualities have found it helpful -- and you'll find a number of articles here at Aleteia referencing the ideas proposed by the author, a 17th-century Carmelite friar.
In fact, more than a book, it is a collection of conversations and letters with insights into, precisely, becoming aware that we are always in the presence of God, and allowing that constant presence to affect how we think, feel, and act.
We'll bring you more from it in the coming days.
For a start, here's a piece from the archives, precisely for Advent, drawing from the book.
