Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, who is a strong promoter of classical education, recently shared how a flight cancellation in the Holy Land led to the opportunity to go to Rome in November during the Jubilee of Education — and to shake hands with Pope Leo XIV.
In his Dec. 5 column for the Diocese of Lincoln website, Bishop Conley explained that he had concluded a pilgrimage to the Holy Land Oct. 31 when his flight home was canceled. In working to reroute the trip, he was able to move his return ticket to stop through Rome, where the Church was celebrating the Jubilee of Education Oct. 27 through Nov. 1. On the last day of the Jubilee, Pope Leo was set to proclaim Saint John Henry Newman — a prolific writer, theologian, and Oxford tutor — a Doctor of the Church and co-Patron of the Church’s educational mission.
This was a golden opportunity for Bishop Conley, who has invested much pastoral effort in recent years encouraging Catholic education, including leading his diocese this year through a monthly humanities syllabus.
After arriving in Rome Oct. 31, Bishop Conley went to the graduate house of the North American College, where he met one of Lincoln’s diocesan priests who was studying for a doctoral dissertation in philosophy at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, also called the Angelicum, which is about two miles from the Vatican.
“I quickly changed out of my clerics and into my cassock and headed down to St. Peter’s Square, arriving about 15 minutes before the popemobile made its entry into Saint Peter’s Square,” Bishop Conley wrote. “After making its rounds through the square to the cheering crowds, the popemobile drove up to the canopy and Pope Leo XIV stepped out of the vehicle.”
Some 15,000 Catholic teachers and students from around the globe were in the square for the Jubilee, according to the bishop.
“Pope Leo then delivered a beautiful reflection on his own experience as a teacher at various educational institutions of the Order of St. Augustine in Rome and Peru,” he wrote, explaining that the address “highlighted four key aspects of teaching, according to writings of St. Augustine: interiority, unity, love and joy.”
Bishop Conley spotlighted several quotes from the Holy Father on each of these aspects of teaching, noting his emphasis on how educators and students must strive to learn through more than just the technological tools and cultivate community and true charity.
Pope Leo, according to the bishop, that “true teachers educate with a smile, and their goal is to awaken smiles in the depths of their students’ souls.”
When the Pope concluded the address, the master of ceremonies signaled to the dozens ofbishops seated near the front to come forward to meet Pope Leo, Bishop Conley explained.
“While I knew that this was a possibility, I was surprised nonetheless! As I made my way up to the place where the Holy Father was standing I knew I had to keep my words brief,” he wrote.
“When it came my turn, I told Pope Leo that I was the Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska, and I bring greetings from the faithful there. Unlike meeting previous popes, I didn’t have to tell him where Nebraska was!”
Bishop Conley also shared with the Pontiff that he was a convert and that St. Newman had been “a huge influence on my conversion and my vocation to the priesthood,” and the Pontiff nodded his head, listening. “I concluded by telling him that I even stole Cardinal Newman’s motto as my own episcopal motto! At this, he tilted his head back and let out a little laugh as I shook his hand,” Bishop Conley continued. “It’s hard to explain how personally endearing it was to be able to speak to a Successor of St. Peter in our own mutual native tongue.”
Bishop Conley wrote that the following day, he was able to concelebrate the Mass for St. Newman and connect with several religious, priests, and a family from Lincoln for dinner in Rome.
“I returned to Lincoln the next day, All Souls Day,” Bishop Conley concluded, “grateful to God for HIs goodness and love, and for His divine providence in my life.”
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