Habemus Papam!
God bless and protect Pope Leo XIV!
What an eventful few weeks this has been!
During Holy Week, Pope Francis surprised us by going out and about, visiting St. Peter’s and the tomb of Pope St. Pius X, traveling to the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray before his beloved icon of the Madonna and Child there, Salus Populi Romani. On Easter Sunday he greeted the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, wishing them “Buona Pasqua,” and he even managed to squeeze in an audience with US Vice President JD Vance — a convert to Catholicism whose views on many significant social issues are contrary to the Church’s doctrine.
Then, on Easter Monday, Pope Francis died.
Many of us who loved Pope Francis were grateful that he came back to us to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Following a month-long stay, out of view and in the hospital, during which vultures in Catholic media circled — some almost gleefully projecting their hope for his speedy death — Francis’s return in time for Holy Week was a providential reminder of God’s victory over death.
Shortly thereafter came the conclave speculation. In all honesty I didn’t follow the gossip closely. I think we only posted two or three articles that covered the speculation — if that. Instead, we shared tributes from friends and WPI contributors about what Francis and his papacy meant to them. [Editor’s Note: I don’t think we’ve gotten through even half of them yet, so we will continue to post them intermittently in the coming weeks and months.]
The only media rumors that I paid significant attention to were the buzz around Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa becoming the favored candidate among traditionalists (traditionalist media, anyway) and the emergence of Cardinal Pietro Parolin as the conservative or “institutional” frontrunner. That traditionalists rallied around Pizzaballa was telling, considering he’s not a traditionalist and in 2023 called for his entire diocese to participate in the Synod on Synodality. He called on all priests and pastoral workers to collaborate and carry out the work of the synod, writing, “We must do it not because we are asked to do so, but because we are sure that it is a beautiful and valuable moment for the life of our Church.”
In the United States, right-wing and traditionalist Catholics might be shocked by the idea that Parolin was the conservative candidate, given that he worked closely with Francis for nearly his entire papacy and that he helped draft the much-maligned 2018 agreement with China on the selection of Chinese bishops. Both of these perceptions are largely based on one-sided media narratives, however. Although Pope Francis certainly struggled to work productively with some outspoken curial officials who are seen as “conservative” (such as Cardinals Burke, Muller, and Sarah), he worked well with others whose theological and ecclesiastical views are “conservative” as well, including Cardinals Ouellet, Ladaria, and Roche.
On the deal with China, it should be noted that Cardinal Zen has publicly opposed any deal with China for nearly two decades, but he should not be considered the lone authority on China-Vatican relations. For one thing, all of his successors as bishop of Hong Kong, including Cardinals John Tong and Stephen Chow, have expressed cautious support for the current agreement. Additionally, it should be noted that the same arguments and accusations directed at Pope Francis and Parolin were used in the past against Popes John Paul II and Benedict for the same reasons. I have sought to tell the other side of the story since 2018. According to traditionalist journalist Diane Montagna, Cardinal Raymond Burke spoke out against the deal during the general congregations prior to the conclave.
What seems clear, both from these rumors and the outcome of the conclave, is that the traditionalist, the opponents of synodality, and the critics of Pope Francis’s vision for the Church were far less influential than their advocates in Catholic media tried to present. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected on the fourth ballot and took the name Pope Leo XIV. It has been suggested that the final vote was nearly unanimous.
The moment Leo stepped out on the Loggia, the US-born Augustinian missionary with Peruvian citizenship was immediately dubbed the “continuity candidate,” a religious priest and bishop who shares the same general priorities as Pope Francis — but who has shown a much different style and demeanor so far. The coming months, weeks, and years will reveal similarities and differences between Pope Leo and his predecessors. A priest friend said to me today that this is the “boring part” of the papacy.
In the days prior to and in the immediate aftermath of the papal election, some prominent traditionalists were stirring up antipathy towards Pope Leo. Several hours later, some traditionalists made a sudden about-face and began praising him. They began spreading rumors that Prevost was a devotee of the Tridentine Mass. Traditionalist YouTuber Taylor Marshall took down his May 5 video criticizing then-Cardinal Prevost, suggesting that “he could be the worst case scenario” if elected. Marshall also said in the video, “I think he is the scariest dark horse. I think there is behind-the-scenes rallying behind Prevost. He looks more moderate, but he’s actually liberal and I think he’s careless.”
On May 9 the video was gone and Marshall posted on X, “I submit myself to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Vicar of Christ on earth.”
Other traditionalists followed suit, as if they had received marching orders and were pursuing a new strategy. Even Raymond Arroyo of EWTN was suddenly praising the new pope.
Whether there’s any seriousness to it or not remains to be seen. Perhaps grace can seep in even when someone makes a disingenuous or strategic display of fealty to the pope. Still, it is hard to take such gestures seriously when the people making them continue to openly express their hatred and contempt for his predecessor.
Nevertheless, I look forward to hearing and learning about the faith from Pope Leo in the weeks and months to come. Additionally, the idea of a pope born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and formed by the post-Vatican II Church is simply astounding. This is sure to be a papacy of surprises.
The WPI team looks forward to accompanying him (and our readers) on this journey.
Featured images: Right: “Pope Francis met with media” (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by Catholic Church (England and Wales). Left: By Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165153532
Mike Lewis is the founding managing editor of Where Peter Is. He and Jeannie Gaffigan co-host Field Hospital, a U.S. Catholic podcast.
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