Deacon Bryan Ott on Pope Francis’ Health: What it Means for the Church’s Future

By Chloe Smith

Pope Francis’ fragile health following his Feb. 14 hospitalization has sparked global concern about the future of his papacy. Deacon Bryan Ott, Principal of the Cathedral Parish School in Saint Augustine, Florida, weighs in on the broader impact. 

“It has united not just Catholics, but people around the world who respect Pope Francis and what he has done—not just for the Church, but for the world,” Ott says. 

The 88-year-old Pope Francis has been receiving treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for over two weeks after a bout of bronchitis worsened into pneumonia in both lungs. This is the longest hospitalization of his pontificate, and given his history of respiratory issues, including lung disease and the removal of part of his lung at age 21, it has not been taken lightly. 

“We’re all praying for him,” Ott said. “Many schools are praying rosaries or having Masses said in his name. We’re going to have a school mass tomorrow that will be said in his name. We prayed for Pope Francis in our morning announcements just this morning and almost every day since the illness has really gotten public.”

Throughout his public life, Pope Francis has been globally renowned for his humility, sharing of God’s mercy, and ability to bring people together, both within the Church and those who have previously felt unwelcome by Catholicism and religion as a whole. Most notably, Francis’ openness to members of LGBTQ+ marked a significant shift in tone for the Roman Catholic Church.

“Pope Francis already has an impressive legacy as a bridge builder,” Ott said. “He’s really challenged ways of thinking within the Catholic Church and ways of doing things.”

Given the pope’s tremendous world influence, his sudden and intense decline in health has resonated far beyond the Church, sparking widespread attention and conversation about the impact of his potential absence. 

“I think that will be a great loss when we lose Pope Francis, and I hope and pray that it’s not anytime soon,” Ott said.

While acknowledging this reality, Ott also emphasizes that the Church is larger than any one leader and that Catholics’ allegiance is not to Pope Francis, but to Jesus Christ. 

“The pope is not a position of power or authority,” Ott says. “The most distinguishing feature of any clergy person, whether it be a deacon, a priest, a bishop, a pope, is that we are all called to serve God and to serve the people.”

With this mindset, Ott explains that honoring someone’s legacy means carrying it forward—and in Pope Francis’ case, embodying the values and mission he championed. 

“When Pope Francis goes, we will continue to be loyal to Jesus and rely on the Holy Spirit to put the next person in the place that the times call for, and God will answer that call,” he said. “God always historically raises people to handle the challenges that every era presents.”

While Francis will hopefully remain the pope for several more years, conversations have already erupted about the selection process for a new pope if a leadership change is required. 

“It usually doesn’t happen super fast, but the College of Cardinals will meet, and they will discuss candidates and narrow a candidate list, and then they’ll vote,” Ott said. “They don’t always reach a consensus.”

The College of Cardinals made up of bishops and Vatican officials from around the world, holds a secret vote to elect a new pope. Smoke will billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel as way of communicating to the public about the state of the meeting. Black smoke signals no decision, and white smoke announces a new leader.

Once chosen, the new pope steps onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the senior cardinal deacon announces, “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”). The new pope then processes out and begins blessing the world. 

According to Ott, the next pope should be a “prayerful person,” rooted in God and the doctrines of the Catholic Church, and a leader who truly listens.

“One of the most important things a pope does is listen,” Ott said. “Not just to God, but listen to all of his advisors, and his advisors are not just cardinals and bishops and ordained clergymen; his advisors are theologians and laymen and women and people from all walks of life who share their experiences with him.” 

Ott made it a point to acknowledge the Church’s flaws, recalling a lesson from a former religion teacher who once said, “‘One of the most powerful pieces of evidence for the existence of the Holy Spirit in the church is that humans haven’t been able to ruin it in 2000 years.’” 

He explained that despite the mistakes made by its leaders, the Church has endured—not because of human efforts, but because of God’s guidance. 

“God knows we’ve done some really bad things as church members, as leaders in the church,” Ott said. “I mean, there are some pretty unfortunate things done by priests and even done by popes over the years.”

For this reason, he emphasized that faith should not rest solely in the pope or any human leader but in God. As concerns grow for Pope Francis’ condition, Ott emphasizes that loss and the emotions that join it are part of the human experience. When processing these feelings, he said people should turn to God in prayer, trusting in His greater plan. 

“I think that there’s a great call to all of us never to put our trust in the pope alone but to put our trust in the God who’s really steering this ship.”

For those seeking further insight, Deacon Bryan Ott is available at bott@cpsschool.org.