Habemus Papam!
This is the third time I have heard those timely words issued from the Vatican balcony, heralding the election of a new leader for the Catholic Church. Since 1980, four popes have reigned: John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and now Robert Prevost, i.e., Leo XIV, an American from the South Side of Chicago. America papam habet!
The Young Pope is no longer fiction.
Who is this new Papa of the church?
Born in Chicago, trained at Villanova University, he spent most of his time in Peru doing missionary work. Prevost recently played a role in Vatican governance as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops at the Vatican. Because he helped the previous pope select new bishops, he likely enjoyed strong relationships with many Cardinals.
There are good signs and bad signs about this new leader of the church.
Bad: He is all in on fighting climate change and focusing on environmentalism. He praised Pope Francis’ focus on carbon reduction. The next pope should focus on sin reduction and amplification of the Gospel. Besides, a cursory reading of the Scriptures will confirm that as long as the four seasons remain, there will still be an earth. The most catastrophic event on earth—Noah’s flood—was a one-time punishment.
He has signaled support for gun control, a strange move coming from a priest. Some Pro-Life activists have twisted their efforts to undermine the right to self-defense. Even Jesus permitted His disciples to take two swords for their protection (Luke 22:38). Like all previous pontiffs, Leo XIV opposes the death penalty. While a principled stance, many conservatives properly disagree with him.
He also criticized JD Vance’s remarks about “ordered love,” stating that Jesus called us to love everyone equally. This criticism is particularly odd, since St. Augustine promulgated this revelation, and Pope Leo XIV is the first Pope from his order!
Good: On the immigration point, he readily pointed out that thousands of migrants pouring into a small town will cause problems. He recognizes that migration is a two-way street, and host countries need to be respected.
On gender ideology and sexuality, he remains true to revelation.
In 2012, he declared in his Synod to the Bishops on the New Evangelization: “Western mass media is extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general public enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel. For example, abortion, the homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia.” In Peru, he opposed a local sexual orientation/gender identity program being forced on the students: “The promotion of gender ideology is confusing, because it seeks to create genders that don’t exist.” Keep in mind that he said this during Francis’ tenure. This kind of clear-headedness is a welcome change from the mixed messaging of the previous Pope. He is staunchly pro-life, already having served as the head of a college pro-life group.
Also to his credit, Cardinal Timothy Dolan remarked that Leo XIV is an able manager. Efficiency and order are definitely in order, compared to the looseness of the previous pontiff. Pundits will never know the complexities that leads to a new Pope. It’s an insular voting bloc, unaffected by public pressures, thinking only of its present and future interests. Pope Leo XIV tapped into their concerns.
The opening ceremonies of the new Pope should give conservatives and traditionalists some hope, as well. Unlike Francis, who came out wearing only a sample white robe, Leo XIV emerged wearing a red mozzetta and a stole over a white rochet and his new white cassock. This restoration of tradition is not lost on the hopeful faithful.
Pope Leo XIV’s first homily focused extensively on Christ Jesus, not himself, not the church, not politics, not even current events. This line stands out particularly:
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16:13). The question is not insignificant. It concerns an essential aspect of our ministry, namely, the world in which we live, with its limitations and its potential, its questions and its convictions.
Religious leadership is about Jesus, the true Head of the Church. It’s not about you, or me, or the Pope in the Vatican. The Christian faith should lift high Christ and Him Crucified. This focus is a change for the better. Leo XIV’s calm convictions are very promising, as well.
Some cynics have commented that the College of Cardinals chose an American pope because they need the money. True, the Catholic Church has cash flow problems, but I think there’s more to this choice. There are two forces within the Catholic leadership: those who want a more progressive church, going with the times, and the more conservative movement wanting to restore the timeless and timely traditions of the faith.
Pope Leo’s past rhetoric gives off a progressive air, but his first acts suggest a slow move to the theologically conservative, bridging divides. Also, let’s not forget that President Trump posted some very disconcerting tweets on abortion, immigration, and other hot-button issues during his private life. As President, he has moved the country in a more culturally conservative direction. Perhaps Pope Leo XIV will undertake the same restoration for the Catholic Church.
Even regarding the Latin Mass controversies, which Pope Francis tried to limit, Leo XIV has shown openness. He has not removed the current leadership in the Vatican, either. Of course, we are just days into his Papacy, so time will tell.
Echoing the sentiments of many cardinals, David Gibson of Fordham University rejected the idea that an American would take Peter’s chair, since church leadership usually avoids electing someone connected with a global superpower. Robert Prevost was not a likely contender for the Papacy, according to online betting markets, certainly. Who would have guessed? Does the ascendancy of an American signify the decline of the United States? On the contrary, our American Pope signals the growing influence of the Americas—and Americans!—in the College of Cardinals.
Putting aside the questions, I am thrilled that an American is the new Pope.
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