Pope Leo XIV

On Thursday 08 May 2025, the conclave elected the first ever North American pope! His birth name is Robert Francis Prevost; he chose the papal name Leo. You've probably been reading "all about it" everywhere, but I still needed to blog.

Back in 2013, before the world knew we'd have Pope Francis, I so did not want Cardinal Sean O'Malley to leave this country. He'd been (he still was at the time) a stellar Archbishop of Boston, but someone told me not to worry, because no way would they [ever?] elect a North American. You can read Cardinal Sean's reflections on Pope Leo XIV.

Like the new Bishop of Rome, Martin Luther was an Augustinian. Someone noted the Augustinians gave the world a Protestant and a Pope!

On Friday 09 May, Liz Cheney said it best on Blue Sky:

In an era that looked as if it might be defined by an American man of depraved cruelty, corruption & shame, what a magnificent thing the Catholic Church has done. The elevation of an American man of goodness, grace, humility, mercy & faith to the Throne of St. Peter is moving & momentous for us all.

That same day when a twitter friend asked our opinion about "the new pope," I wrote:

I'm excited that Pope Leo will continue ministries of justice, inclusion, creation care, etc. Like any human's, his track record isn't perfect, but altogether a great choice. And he's multilingual! I'm mainline protestant, but with the world I'm happy to say Habemus Papam!