Pope Leo XIV greets Columban Fr Patrick McInerney during their meeting. Photo: Vatican Media
I recently had the privilege of meeting Pope Leo XIV. The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue had invited me to Rome for a meeting of the Consultors to the Commission on Religious Relations with Muslims. After concluding our business, we attended a General Audience. We were seated in the front row. When the public proceedings were done, the Pope met with various bishops, people with disabilities, newlyweds, pilgrim groups, and dignitaries. A member of the Commission introduced us to the Pope and explained our role in providing guidance to the Dicastery in Catholic-Muslim relations. Then we met him individually.
I introduced myself as Columban missionary. I explained that I had worked in Pakistan for 20 years, and was working in interfaith in Sydney for the last 25 years. Pope Leo was reserved, smiling, welcoming, attentive, looking at me directly as if I was the only person in St Peter’s Square. At each point of information, he nodded. I observed that he had known Columban missionaries in Peru, at which point he said, “Yes, I knew the Columbans in Peru”.
A member of the Commission introduces Consultors to the Pope. Photo: Fr Patrick McInerney
Two missionaries meeting each other, each from different hemispheres, each having worked in different hemispheres, each now called far beyond our “first loves”. It was a moment of mutual recognition, respect, encounter, and fraternity between two missionaries.
As I took his leave, I said, “Blessings on your ministry”. Pope Leo replied, “Thank you. And on yours too.” I will carry the memory of this brief encounter with the pope for a long time and draw on the papal blessing for my Columban missionary work in the interfaith apostolate in Australia and for my role as Director of the Columban Region of Oceania.
Rev Dr Patrick McInerney is the Columban Regional Director of Oceania and the Director of Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations.
