A man of divided loyalties?

Before celebrating the fact that a sixty-nine-year-old Chicago, Illinois-born American, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, has been elected Pope Leo XIV, consider that his loyalties are first to the preservation and growth of the Catholic organization he heads, and secondarily, to the beliefs and practices he developed while ministering in Peru, where he holds dual citizenship.

Considering his close association with Pope Francis, a progressive liberation theologian, and their common roots in South America, it is likely that the new Pope’s position on immigration, wealth redistribution, and climate change will not differ markedly from those of his predecessor.

Given the common wisdom about the geopolitical implications that precluded the previous consideration of an American-born Pope, one wonders what Pope Leo’s positions might truly be to convince a majority of the voting Cardinals to elect Cardinal Prevost to head the Church.

Pope Leo’s first words to a public audience were spoken in Italian, the language of Rome, followed by Spanish—nothing in English.

What's in a name?

Pope Leo XIII, who led the Church from 1878 to 1903, is known for modernizing its engagement with the world, primarily through his encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers' rights and social justice.

Leo XIII stood firm against socialism and promoted tradition, orthodoxy, Thomistic philosophy, theology, and the articulation of traditional Catholic social teaching. He sought better relations with secular governments.

By adopting the name Pope Leo XIV, one might believe he might adopt the positions and policies of the previous Pope XIII, greatly beloved by both conservatives and progressives.

Bottom line…

Before projecting your assumptions onto someone with divided loyalties simply because they share specific characteristics, such as a common birth nation, we must consider the context of their current responsibilities. If their oath of office is to a foreign entity like the Catholic Church, then their primary duty does not lie with America or the U.S. Constitution.

Considering that Pope Francis had taken clear stances on issues like the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the environment (through Laudato Si’), showing that he is very much a political actor, albeit with a spiritual mission, judgment of the new Pope should be reserved until his actions, policies, and priorities reveal whether they will reflect the interests of America or his adopted organization.

One hopes the new Pope’s guidance will remain focused on moral and spiritual leadership, rather than extending into political advocacy.

-- Steve