Thoughts on the new pope, Leo XIV

While the discussions in the conclave that elevated Cardinal Robert Prevost to serve as Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church will forever remain secret, his selection inevitably sends a message on the direction the cardinals have in mind. Prevost was not on any of the lists of papabile that I saw (Steve Bannon, of all people, was the only commentator who predicted this), but it's not unusual for the conclave to make an unexpected choice.

Born in Chicago, Leo XIV served for many years as a missionary in Peru, and was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo in 2014. In fact, he holds Peruvian citizenship. Having such a close connection to Latin America signals continuity with the Argentinian Pope Francis. At the same time, Leo's American origin gives him a unique voice in the United States. The first pope from the USA is only the second from the Americas, and the second from an English-speaking country (Pope Adrian IV, who served from 1154 to 1159, was the only pope from England). Leo is known for his concern for the poor, making him a successor to Francis in that regard. President Trump (who proposed himself for pope even though he's a Presbyterian) has called Leo's selection an honor; he may come to regret that if Leo is critical of the administration's policies toward refugees and immigrants.

The selection of a papal name also sends a message. Prevost chose the name Leo to honor the last pope of that name, Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903. Leo XIII was a supporter of worker's rights, fair wages and safe working conditions, and trade unions. He was also a Thomist, the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas which holds that truth should be accepted regardless of its origins, whether Christian, pagan, Jewish, or Islamic. The choice of this papal name suggests that these views are also important to Leo XIV and their promotion will be elements of his papacy. Leo XIII was also the fourth longest-serving pope in history, and was around the same age as Prevost when he ascended to the papacy, so this also signals the hope that Leo XIV's reign will be a long one.

My expectations for the new pope are no change in the church's stance on abortion, LGBTQ, or the ordination of female priests, but with a renewed emphasis on the social justice issues Francis was known for, with particular attention to those issues in the United States.