A signal of hope or an invitation to trust?

Their pontiff dead, the birds in red
perched near St. Pete’s in Rome.
In secrecy, they flocked to see
who’d claim the papal throne.

With J.P. gone, they prayed at dawn
while fingering their beads.
Upon their knees they begged, “God please,
tell us who you’d have lead.”

And rightly so, for as you know
their church is quite perplexed
about the way it’s viewed today
with scandals over sex.

Is it too late? Should priests have mates?
Is birth control so wrong?
And what about a clergy drought?
Their laundry list is long.

With much at stake for Heaven’s sake,
the cardinals found their voice.
Within that place of frescoed grace,
the red men named their choice.

Black puffs gave way to white the day
they took their final vote
as thousands cheered and shed some tears
to see the holy smoke.

Yet can this pope give cause for hope?
Can one man turn the tide?
It seems to me the missing key
is faith that’s true and tried.