Habemus papam! We have a pope! ...And he's an American!
But not too American.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a native of Chicago, was elected pope on May 8th. I was checking live conclave updates every now and then while at work, and I happened to be just going on break while my coworker played the live scene of the announcement, and public presentation, of our new pope. I tried to follow along with the Latin, and I caught the papal name, Leo XIV, but not the cardinal's name. Then, I saw his name appear on the bottom of the screen. It was both exciting and surprising: an American cardinal had been chosen, but I didn't think that would happen. On the other hand, it makes sense that if an American would be chosen, it would be Prevost, for I heard how he spent much time in Peru, gaining Peruvian citizenship there. In a way, then, he is the first Peruvian pope in addition to being the first American pope.
That name, Leo XIV, is interesting for a few reasons. This is the first pope Leo in over a century, as Leo XIII was a pope who barely lived to see the 1900s before he died. Many people, secular and Catholic alike, immediately looked for connections or inspirations from this previous Leo. Pope Leo XIII was pope during a time of significant change in the world: the spread of telephones and light bulbs, video and sound recordings, the invention of automobiles, the dramatic expansion of European colonies in Africa, the close of the "Wild West", and, of course, the rise of labor-centric ideologies such as progressivism and socialism. It was this last topic that keenly interested Leo XIII. In light of all the new things happening in the world, Leo XIII wrote an encyclical literally translated into English as "New Things", discussing the Church's position on social issues, particularly those related to labor and economics. This has prompted speculation that our new pope will have a focus on Catholic social theory, which I would look forward to.
I was not expecting an American to be elected pope at this time, but I understand why it was Prevost who would be elected from all the American-born cardinals. On the live ABC News coverage I was watching, a reporter commented that Prevost was chosen because he is somewhat quiet and humble, going against the stereotype sometimes associated with Americans. Also, even though he was born and raised in the United States, he has spent years in Peru, where he had his only episcopal assignment as the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. It's been a hot minute since he spent a large chunk of his life in the United States. He holds Peruvian citizenship, and so far as pope he has spoken very little English apart from the first paragraph of his homily yesterday. He has, however, spoken some Spanish. I even remember hearing before the conclave that if any American cardinal was elected, it could be Prevost, because again, he was the "least" American of the American cardinals. While I was somewhat hoping that a sub-Saharan African such as Robert Sarah would be elected, having a "native" American pope sure is exciting! (It turns out that Leo XIV does, in fact, have some African-American ancestry as well).
Leo XIV appears to be a kind of "moderate", given his biography. He might not be as "conservative" as Benedict XVI, who spoke against applause during mass, nor might he be as "liberal" as Francis, who put restrictions on the older forms of mass. That part does not surprise me, and I look forward to seeing what Leo XIV will do during his pontificate. Yesterday, during his homily, he mentioned a point I've been waiting for someone to say: "Today, too, there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman. This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism." What do practicing Christians do? They pray and go to church. What do "practicing" atheists do? They don't pray and they don't go to church. Therefore, self-proclaimed Christians who don't pray and don't go to church end up looking like atheists. I thank His Holiness for making that point.
In conclusion, the papal conclave has produced a surprising but exciting result (which seems normal for conclaves to do). I think Leo XIV will be a good pope. My thoughts align closely with those of Jimmy Akin, who I nickname the "Catholic cowboy": his commentary can be found here.
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