On seven previous occasions over the course of the previous century, six familiar Latin words have come forth in Vatican City.

In 1939, 1958, 1963, 1978 twice, 2005, and 2013.

They follow white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and, beginning in 2005, the ringing of the bells in St. Peter’s Square.

They come from a cardinal on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. Habemus papam.”

If you’ve ever learned a Romance language, you probably don’t need a translation: “I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope.”

With those words, the world learns a new leader has succeeded to the chair of St. Peter, and someone of whom most of the world knows little has become the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and a leading figure in all of Christendom.

From 1523 to 1978, the pope came from the peninsula that in the 1800s became become Italy.

Then from 1978 to 2025, there was a Pole, a German, and an Argentine.

Papal influence spreads far beyond the church.

One observation was that the Soviet Union was brought to its knees by a grocer’s daughter and two actors: Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, and Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II.

Like all of Christendom’s leaders, the 267th pope has big tasks before him.

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The many parishes of the Roman Catholic church are among houses of worship that have enriched this region for generations.

When this columnist was in elementary school, it was common for children from Christian families to ask each other where they went to church.

Almost all such children and their families did so regularly, not just when the church had poinsettias or Easter lilies. Or to quote one member of this columnist’s family: One went not just when one was “hatched, matched, and dispatched.”

Regular attendance is an anchor for any community.

Although it’s primarily a faith anchor, it’s also a cultural and social anchor that helps conserve the civil social order that we bequeath from generation to generation. The Judeo-Christian tradition, after all, is among the building blocks of Western civilization.

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It’s no secret that many American Christians have pulled up their own such anchors.

It doesn’t help that other activities, such as youth-sports practices and games, are on Sunday mornings.

Yet the challenge is bigger than that. It’s one that many churches face.

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Attendance drops because people for many reasons drift away from organized Christianity.

Dropping attendance is among reasons the Diocese of Buffalo–Western New York’s Roman Catholic diocese–has cited in attempting to close multiple parishes.

You, faithful reader of this column, know that Holy Apostles parish in Jamestown is among them. That would mean closing Jamestown’s Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, which is among the region’s grand cathedrals.

For many reasons, some of which you read here on Nov. 8, 2024, closing Saints Peter and Paul is wrong.

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Some churches are organized from the top down. Others, from the bottom up.

The Roman Catholic Church is organized from the top down. To Saints Peter and Paul parishioners’ credit, they’ve meticulously organized a bottom-up appeal of the closure.

The first place to appeal was the diocese, where the result was predictable.

After the diocese declined to vacate its decision, Saints Peter and Paul parishioners appealed to the Dicasterium pro Clericis–the Dicastery for Clergy–in the Vatican.

The good news, according to the dicastery’s letter that multiple parishioners have publicly released, including to the press, is that the dicastery has agreed to hear their appeal.

The dicastery doesn’t have to accept every appeal. Its accepting the Holy Apostles appeal doesn’t mean a victory is forthcoming. It means the Holy Apostles appeal continues in the dicastery.

Meanwhile, the dicastery, according to the publicly released letter, has suspended the closure of Holy Apostles “for the duration of the recourse,” meaning the appeal.

If parishioners lose in the dicastery, they can appeal one step above the dicastery. So, for present purposes, think of it as a mid-level appellate court.

Please stay tuned and sit tight: Courageous, determined, hopeful, and prayerful Saints Peter and Paul parishioners just might–they just might–prevail.

Oh, what a victory that would be.

They all deserve to be extraordinarily proud of their extraordinary work.

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Dr. Randy Elf’s Nov. 8, 2024, column is at https://www.post-journal.com/opinion/local-commentaries/2024/11/closing-saints-peter-and-paul-is-wrong and https://www.observertoday.com/opinion/commentary/2024/11/save-historic-jamestown-church.

COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY RANDY ELF