The final months for American Catholics were stories about climbing Catholic rights. In January, a parade of right-wing Catholic powers began to flow in President Trump's Washington remake. A few weeks later, Pope Francis was hospitalized and declined.
Vice President J.D. Vice President J.D. Vice President, a new conservative style of Catholicism, was one of the last to see Pope Francis alive.
Then came the stunning arrival of the new Pope on Thursday: American Chicago-born Americans and church priorities seemed to put him in the mold of Francis. He is potentially another rebellious voice against the tensions of the country's new and powerful right-lent Catholic.
The promotion of Robert Francis Prevast, known as Bob, graduated from his country's throne of St. Peter on Thursday afternoon. But the first American Pope arrives at a time of extraordinary complexity and tension in American churches.
Now, the new Pope Leo XIV faces the challenge of not only shepherding 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, but also unifying the church class, ordinary Catholics, the ecosystem of Washington's influential right-wing Catholic media, and the broken American church where Catholic powers often oppose.
The Pope takes on a role in an extraordinary muscle and vision moment for certain Catholicism in American public life. More than a third of President Trump's cabinet members are Catholic. Similarly, there are two-thirds of the Supreme Court. This has issued a remarkable series of rulings expressing an emphatic vision of religious freedom that is often favored by the interests of Christianity.
Joseph R. Biden Jr., the second Catholic president in the country's history, left a few months ago.
Trump's rise of new right-wing Catholicism in Washington contrasts with the broader decline of the church's existence in American life. The Catholic wave left the church following the revelation of widespread sexual abuse by the clergy, and American culture became secular throughout. According to the Pew Research Center, about 20% of Americans today describe themselves as Catholic.
Vance, who converted to the faith in 2019, posted his wellwish to the new bishop online Thursday afternoon. “Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope in his election!” he wrote. “Millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the church. May God bless him!”
Trump, who refused to post his image of himself as the Pope on his account on his own true social platform this week, told reporters Thursday that the choice was “an honor of our country.”
Pope Francis clashed with Trump and recently eagerly attacked immigrants. In February, just months before his death, the Pope harshly criticized Trump's policy of expelling a massive deportation in an open letter to an American bishop, calling it a violation of “the dignity of many men and all his family.” The letter was also seen as an indirect message to other members of the administration, including Vance, who used Catholic theological concepts to defend the administration's crackdown on immigration.
Pope Leo is likely to share Pope Francis' priorities on a variety of social issues. The X Account, which appears to belong to the new Pope, reposted a message critical of Trump administration's “illegal deportation” in April. The same account also shares several articles that are critical of Vance.
“This Pope will continue to speak for peace, refugees, poor people, hunger for justice,” said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a longtime Vatican analyst. “If he's in trouble with the Trump White House, that's right.”
On Thursday night, some right-wing Catholic media had begun to express Pope Leo's orthodox skepticism. The website LifeSiteNews has published “Five Things You Need to Know About Leo XIV” written by the editor. The list included the new Pope's criticism of Trump's immigration policy.
Still, Catholic doctrines are not properly mapped to American political conflicts, and it is not clear whether Pope Leo has the desire of his predecessors for sparring. Inserting yourself directly into the American political landscape may be thorny for Americans.
For some American Catholics, his choice was a sign that the church here was mature. The country is approaching its 250th birthday next year, but the Catholic Church claims it is about 1,750 years old.
Kim Daniels, director of the Catholic Social Thought and Public Life Initiative at Georgetown University, said the United States was still considered the mission area of ​​the Catholic Church, just as it was in the early 20th century. “The pope from the United States is, in a sense, a sign that we enter ourselves in global Catholicism,” she wrote in an email, calling his election an “extraordinary gift” to American church life.
The American Church is currently the fourth largest in the world behind the people of Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines. The United States was the first to have born a pope.
For leaders of Catholic institutions and ministries across the country, this choice was an optimistic moment for their churches and their country.
“That's great news, it's amazing,” Curtis Martin, founder of the US-based Catholic Ministry Focus, said of the American Pope's choice. I also find his name to be auspicious. Mr. Martin was appointed one of his sons after Pope Leo XIII, born in Italy.
Martin said he thought Pope Francis was a great listener, especially to those who didn't understand the church or agreed to its teachings. He hopes Pope Leo can take the next step.
“What's not happening yet is the opportunity to have a real conversation,” Martin said. “The church may not have listened better under Pope Francis, but now it's an opportunity to speak.”
He added, “I think Pope Leo might be able to guide that.”
Rev. Robert A. Dowd, president of Notre Dame, said he hopes Leo's election will prove “a moment of unity” in the American Church.
“He's an American with a global perspective, but he's an American,” Father Dowd said. “I think he understands the state of the church here in America.”
Just like the moments felt by many American Catholics, the new American Pope spent most of his adult life abroad in Peru and Italy. Born in Argentina, Pope Francis never returned to his home country as Pope, and visited the United States only once in the Pope See in 12 years.
American Church leaders, generally more conservative than many of the world's churches, expressed their welcome and emphasized that the new Pope now belongs to the world.
“Indeed, we are pleased that the son of this country has been chosen by the Cardinals, but he now recognizes that he belongs to all Catholics and all people of good intentions,” Archbishop Timothy P. Bloglio, Archbishop of the Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement. “His words advocate for peace, unity and missionary work already show progress.”
Alan Blinder Reports of contributions.
