Back when he was Cardinal Prevost, the Order of Saint Augustine interviewed Pope Leo the 14th about the main issues that the modern Church faces: youth ministry, lay vocations, and changes within the global community.
According to Cardinal Prevost, while the Church's universal mission of spreading the Gospel has remained the same, the biggest challenges of each country and diocese vary greatly. So it is difficult to pinpoint exactly one issue that should take priority over the others.
CARD. ROBERT F. PREVOST
One of the things that I've learned already… is that to be part of the Catholic Church is to understand that the Church is actually universal throughout the world, but there are many different cultures, many different languages, many different realities throughout the world…
What would be the priority in Italy? What would be the priority in Spain? Or in the United States? Or in Peru? Or in China?
He went on to talk about the relationship between young people and the Church, and why there are fewer vocations to the religious life and the priesthood than before.
CARD. ROBERT F. PREVOST
There are thousands and thousands of young people that are looking for some kind of experience that will help them to live their faith, and I think that has to come first anyway. Our priority cannot be looking for vocations. Our priority has to be living the good news, living the Gospel.
It is true that, in some parts of the world right now, for many different reasons, there are fewer vocations than there were in the past. It's a concern, but I don't think that it's a primary concern. Sometimes I think that if we learn to live our faith better, learn how to invite and include others, especially young people, into the life of the Church, there will continue to be some vocations that come.
The then-Cardinal Prevost also reflected on the role of the laity in the Church.
CARD. ROBERT F. PREVOST
Lay people also have a very important role in the Church. As Pope Francis says, not to take over the role of clergy and not to become clericalized, but rather to live their baptismal vocation, what it means for them to be a part of the Church, with greater clarity.
Regarding the new challenges arising both in the world and within the Church, then-Cardinal Prevost conveyed this core idea.
CARD. ROBERT F. PREVOST
I think we have to be open to change and be open to seeing new ways of doing things, but we also have to be respectful of many wonderful traditions that have grown up in the Church through the years.
Now that he is no longer a cardinal but the Pope, Pope Leo14th will now be applying this knowledge and experience as he faces the challenges the universal Church.
