Pope Leo XIV | First Impressions and Other Papal Musings

The scene of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV standing on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica, his arms outstretched toward the throngs below in Saint Peter’s Square, was both emotionally stirring and spiritually inspiring. There was something rapturous about his visage, and the only way I could describe it to myself was that he seemed to emanate “holy joy”—referring to that sense of peace and happiness associated with a deep connection with God. At the same time, his humanity was evident in the gentleness of his smile, as he looked down on the more than 300,000 people in the light of early dusk who, regardless of their own religion, welcomed him with a chorus of “Papa.” His first papal words were in Italian, the official language of Vatican City. “La pace sia con tutto voi!” “Peace be with all of you!” His speech, not much longer than ten minutes, paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, and focused on the love of God for everyone and the “new mission for the whole church for peace in the world.” He was speaking not only to the crowd below, but also to the 1.4 billion Catholics who were now his subjects, and to the more than eight billion souls on this earth, so many of whom were rejoicing in his role as the new pontiff.

Though more than 4,000 miles from Rome, I felt a kinship with the crowd in the square and couldn’t hold back the tears that welled up in my eyes as I stared at the man whose name I had never heard before—Robert Francis Prevost. Throughout the morning, my four siblings and I had been texting each other as we were on “smoke alert,” and when the plume was white we entered a guessing game—all five of us were wrong. And then came the news that the new pope was American—what a shock and what a joy! For decades, the conventional wisdom seemed to be that “an American pope was unlikely.” Pundits—Vatican watchers, reporters, and theologians—argued that “America had too much power” and “Italian cardinals don’t like Americans” and on and on. And then it happened. An American polyglot who had spent most of his life outside of the United States as a missionary and a member of the order of Augustinians, a man who had been cardinal for less than two years, was elected pope by nearly 80% of the voting cardinals. An America pope with not an ounce of American bombast or pomposity, and with a pleasant Midwestern accent. An American baby boomer, younger than I and younger than all my siblings. That realization came as a bit of a shock, but I guess that’s not too surprising when one has lived through eight papacies. 

The insatiable American curiosity to know more about this unpretentious man was satisfied in large measure because his brothers and others who knew him well were willing to share details with the world. We discovered that his American heritage was both multi-cultural and multi-racial—with Creole, Italian, French and Caribbean influences. His brother John let the world know that Pope Leo plays Wordle every day. An avid Wordle player myself, I found that peek into the pontiff’s recreational interests particularly pleasing, and it gave me an insight into his personality. The Wordle players whom I know (including myself) are pretty competitive, particularly if they play with the same person every day, as the pope does with his brother John, who also shared with the press that while still Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost he watched the movie, Conclave, shortly before participating in the real thing. One might have expected a prospective priest to have studied theology in college, but it was mathematics that attracted Pope Leo at Villanova University, before he went on to earn a Master of Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He himself has willingly shared with the public that his favorite sport is tennis, and he hopes to find a way to play again. He’s also a White Sox fan—which must have demonstrated a healthy amount of faith and hope in the last couple of decades. Tidbits such as these that began emerging within moments of Robert Francis Prevost becoming pope had a way of humanizing the man we were coming to know as Pope Leo XIV.  

Then three days later, on Sunday, May 11, following the High Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, I witnessed the spiritual side of our new pope. He appeared again on the balcony of the basilica, and after a brief introduction, he led, in a strong and pleasing tenor voice, the traditional hymn in Gregorian chant that is sung on the Sundays following Easter—Regina Caeli (Queen of Heaven). The ease with which he led the thousands of visitors in the square convinced me that he had sung that very hymn hundreds of times over his forty plus years of priesthood. I sent the link of his leading the hymn to dozens of friends, not all of whom are Catholic. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dfySxyifkk
The message he shared from the balcony with his audience touched on the tragedy of a third world war. He wished for the Ukrainian people to reach “an authentic true and lasting peace.” He prayed for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to come to the people living there, and he expressed happiness that India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire. In his closing words he noted that it was Mother’s Day and wished a “happy feast day” to all mothers.

Pope Leo XIV has been pontiff for less than a month, but it is heartening to ponder his choice of a name. His most immediate papal namesake, Leo XIII, built his own legacy on the encyclical he wrote in 1891 entitled, “Rerum Novarum” (“Of New Things”). It dealt, not with dogma or doctrine, but spoke to the obligation of capitalism to treat labor with humanity and fairness. It was an example of Catholic social teaching in light of a century of changes brought about by the industrial revolution in Europe and the United States. In an interview just days after the new pope was elected, his brother, John, used the phrase, “a second Pope Francis,” in describing how his brother will lead, adding, “he has a deep feeling for the disenfranchised, for the poor, those who were not listened to…..He will follow right in the footsteps of Pope Francis. He will speak his mind.” Not yet seventy years old, Pope Leo XIV’s reign could be a long one. In an increasingly authoritarian world, we must hope and pray that the new pope’s message of peace and caring for the underserved will resonate with leaders of good will around the world.