Pope Leo XIV concelebrates Mass with the Faculty of Cardinals contained in the Sistine Chapel on Friday, the day after his election.
Vatican Media/AP
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Vatican Media/AP
Pope Leo XIV has already made historical past, because the first-ever American-born pope to steer the Roman Catholic Church. However how may he form the establishment?
Robert Francis Prevost was elected on Thursday after a two-day conclave to succeed the late Pope Francis — a progressive pontiff who was identified for his dedication to social justice.
Whereas Pope Leo is taken into account a centrist, he shares a few of his predecessor’s views on together with the atmosphere and outreach to migrants.
Leo can be notable for being the primary Augustinian friar to steer the church. The Order of Saint Augustine, which dates again to 1244, says it has some 2,800 members all through 47 nations. Their three core values are “reality, unity and love.”
“And so, Leo XIV has been fashioned on these foundational values,” the Rev. Robert Hagan, prior provincial of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova told NPR. “Francis spoke lots about synodality, to pay attention. I feel Pope Leo XIV is somebody who can be prepared to hearken to the voices on the margins.”
Leo’s public feedback and social media presence relationship again years assist paint an image of his stances on sure points.
At a 2023 Vatican press convention, for instance, he said, “Our work is to enlarge the tent and to let everybody know they’re welcome contained in the Church.” In an interview the next yr, he echoed Francis’ view {that a} bishop is “known as to serve.”
“The bishop will not be presupposed to be just a little prince sitting in his kingdom, however reasonably known as authentically to be humble, to be near the individuals he serves, to stroll with them, to endure with them, and to search for ways in which he can higher stay the Gospel message within the midst of his individuals,” the then-cardinal told Vatican News in 2024.
This is what Pope Leo has stated prior to now about plenty of points, from LGBTQ+ Catholics to local weather change — although it is not clear if his views have modified since or if they’re clear indicators of how he’ll information the world’s billion-plus Catholic devoted.
Equality for girls
Like his predecessor, Leo opposes the concept of ordaining feminine deacons. That is in step with hundreds of years of Catholic understanding, as he informed journalists at a 2023 conference.
“One thing that must be stated is also that ordaining girls — and there is been some girls which have stated this apparently sufficient — ‘clericalizing girls’ does not essentially resolve an issue, it’d make a brand new drawback,” he stated.
On the identical time, he touted Francis’ efforts to extend women’s participation and visibility within the Vatican, reminiscent of by appointing a number of girls to outstanding management roles. In truth, Francis tasked the now-pope with overseeing one among his most revolutionary reforms: adding three women to the workplace that vets bishop nominations in 2022.
“I feel there will likely be a seamless recognition of the truth that girls can add an awesome deal to the lifetime of the Church on many various ranges,” Leo added.
LGTBQ Catholics
Whereas Francis was identified for his efforts to make the church extra open to members of the LGBTQ community — famously asking, “Who am I to guage?” — Leo might not comply with in his footsteps.
In a 2012 address, Leo expressed concern that Western tradition promotes “huge sympathy for beliefs and practices which are at odds with the gospel,” particularly referencing abortion, the “gay life-style” and “different households comprised of same-sex companions and their adopted youngsters.”
Leo’s views on the Vatican’s 2023 doc Fiducia Supplicans — which allows non-liturgical blessings for same-sex {couples}, amongst others — are additionally ambiguous. He didn’t wholly endorse or reject the doc, instead emphasizing the necessity for nationwide bishops’ conferences to have the authority to interpret such steering inside their native cultural context.
Throughout his eight-year tenure as a bishop within the Peruvian metropolis of Chiclayo, he opposed a authorities plan so as to add teachings on gender in colleges.
“The concept of selling gender ideology is complicated as a result of it seeks to create genders that do not exist. So God created man and girl, and the try to confuse concepts from nature will solely hurt households and other people,” he told the Peruvian newspaper Diario Correo.
He went on to say that individuals ought to “respect the dignity of every particular person, together with the choices that grownup individuals might have.”
“To speak about issues of id and sexual orientation with a baby who hasn’t but reached a ample age of improvement will create a lot confusion,” he added.
Local weather change
Leo — like his predecessor — has been outspoken about the necessity to confront climate change. In 2024 remarks, he known as for the church to maneuver “from phrases to motion.”
The then-cardinal cautioned in opposition to the “dangerous” results of technological improvement and reaffirmed the Vatican’s commitments to defending the atmosphere, pointing to Pope Francis’ set up of photo voltaic panels and shift to electric vehicles as examples.
Leo stated humanity’s “dominion over nature” shouldn’t be “tyrannical,” however reasonably a “relationship of reciprocity” with the atmosphere.
Migrants
Leo spent most of his profession in Peru and holds twin citizenship there.
Jesus Leon Angeles, the coordinator of a Catholic group in Chiclayo who has identified the now-pope since 2018, told Reuters that he confirmed particular concern for Venezuelan migrants in Peru.
“He’s an individual who likes to assist,” he stated.
The U.N. refugee agency says there are over 1.5 million forcibly displaced Venezuelans dwelling in Peru, making it one of many largest host nations for refugees fleeing the humanitarian and financial disaster there.
Pope Francis advocated vocally for the rights of migrants and refugees, typically reminding folks that he was a descendant of immigrants himself. He publicly criticized the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration over time, most just lately calling its mass deportation plan “a serious disaster” in a February letter to U.S. Catholic bishops.
U.S. politics
Leo, who’s from Chicago, voted in Republican main elections in 2012, 2014 and 2016, and most just lately within the 2024 basic election, in keeping with voting records obtained by Politico. Illinois voters do not register as members of a celebration, so he’s listed as “undeclared” and it isn’t clear for whom he voted.
Occasional tweets and retweets on Leo’s X account might maintain extra clues to his political beliefs.
His most up-to-date retweet was critical of the Trump administration’s partnership with El Salvador to deport immigrants with out authorized standing, quoting a bishop who requested, “Is your conscience not disturbed? How are you going to keep quiet?”
In February, he posted hyperlinks to 2 op-eds disagreeing with Vice President Vance’s February feedback on the Christian hierarchy of affection, which have been broadly criticized, together with by Pope Francis. One in every of Leo’s tweets repeated the headline: “JD Vance is mistaken: Jesus does not ask us to rank our love for others.”
Leo has additionally shared messages opposing the death penalty, supporting vaccination through the COVID-19 pandemic and retweeting prayers for George Floyd after his police killing in 2020.
“We have to hear extra from leaders within the Church, to reject racism and search justice,” he tweeted on the time.
On-line sleuths have dug up older tweets on his feed that criticize the primary Trump administration, together with its household separation coverage, efforts to repeal Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Trump’s “bad hombres” rhetoric.
Some right-wing figures in U.S. media have been quick to criticize the brand new pope as his social media posts emerged, with Trump ally Laura Loomer calling him “WOKE MARXIST POPE.” Trump himself congratulated Leo on Thursday.
“It’s such an honor to appreciate that he’s the primary American Pope,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “What pleasure, and what a Nice Honor for our Nation. I sit up for assembly Pope Leo XIV. It will likely be a really significant second!”
