An American for Pope and a Great Choice
I'm quite happy.
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Chicago native Robert Francis Prevost has just been elected the 267th Bishop of Rome, the head of the Catholic Church, taking the name Leo XIV.
He was only made a cardinal in 2023 and was serving as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, or overseeing the selection of new bishops. Prior to that was a long pastoral career in Peru. He speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and can read Latin and German.
Goodness gracious, y’all, I could not have been more wrong in my prediction for the new pope. I never thought the cardinal electors would select an American. To say I’m stunned would be an understatement.
However, for the record, I did humor his chances in my prediction:
For example, there's a (very unlikely) scenario in which someone like Cardinal Robert Prevost is elected: a compromise candidate who's broadly considered safe and palatable between both ends of the ideological spectrum. But there are other cardinals that fit this and Prevost could be in 20+ years.
Okay, so, here are my initial thoughts:
This is a great choice, and I’m quite happy.
Folks need to understand that any choice for the new pope was going to be nominally anti-LGBTQ in a number of ways. What's important is compassion and openness toward LGBTQ folks, and I'm optimistic that Pope Leo XIV will continue that direction pursued by Pope Francis.
There are likely to be statements made by Pope Leo XIV that are anti-trans in nature, just as there were comments made by Pope Francis during his papacy.
But focus on this: Leo XIV is very much in line with Francis on calling for a more compassionate church and inclusivity. In his opening remarks to the crowd at St. Peter’s Square, he emphasized the church being welcome to all. This is a great omen, in my humble opinion.
He was clearly a favorite of Francis, who accelerated his ascent up the ranks in the past decade.
Here are some other things that should give us hope, courtesy of quick research by Aaron Reichlin-Melnick:
1. Just last month, Pope Leo XIV tweeted out this op-ed criticizing JD Vance’s horrible message of exclusivity.
2. He also tweeted out another op-ed along the same lines.
3. He also retweeted criticism of the Trump administration over the illegal deportation and detainment of Mr. Abrego-Garcia, the man cruelly being held in an El Salvardoran prison.
Bottom line: yes, this pope will not be as progressive as Francis—certainly the most progressive pontiff ever—but there’s a lot of hope here that the new pope will stand against fascism, champion empathy, and exercise openness toward marginalized communities.
Given the conservative nature of the College of Cardinals and how much worse this could have been for LGBTQ rights with a few other choices who have demonstrated far less openness toward the community, I’m quite grateful and optimistic.
Habemus papam! God bless Pope Leo XIV, and may he continue the direction of Pope Francis toward a more inclusive church and being a bulwark against fascism.
Well done Charlotte - absurdity begets surprises and you pegged the 1 of 17 that could be that surprise. My fervent hope is that he will resist with us, and not allow DJT the last word on every topic of importance. Blessings to Leo XIV. 🙏
“For example, there's a (very unlikely) scenario in which someone like Cardinal Robert Prevost is elected: a compromise candidate who's broadly considered safe and palatable between both ends of the ideological spectrum. But there are other cardinals that fit this and Prevost could be in 20+ years.”
I'm so glad to read this! I don't know anything about this new pope and my first thought was "I wonder what Charlotte thinks". I love the Catholic Church with my whole heart having converted when I was 18 years old. However, I have been in and out - torn between my love of the mass vs. the divisive and exclusive messaging. Understanding that it's not nearly enough inclusion, at least it's not a giant step backward and I am relieved that you see him as a good choice for pope.