Analysis: Through his words, gestures and even his liturgical elections, the new Pope is gathering the best of those who preceded him.
In the hours after the election of Pope Leo XIV on May 8, the speculation was not long in emerging: will it be the first American pontiff a continuation of Francisco, or will San Juan Pablo II look more like Oa Benedict XVI?
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If the choice of words and clothing of the new Pope is an indication, the answer seems to be “all of the above.”
Since the papacy assumed, Leo XIV has combined phrases, ideas and even liturgical symbols of several of the previous potatoes, making it clear that he wants to inspire themselves to all of them to lead the Catholic Church.
And with the church deeply divided after Francisco’s pontificate tumultuous, the approach of “unity by synthesis” of Leo XIV – and his focus on continuity with all who preceded him – could be of great help to heal the ruptures.
Memories and splints
These signs go beyond its first public appearance, when it went to the Lodge of the Basilica of San Pedro speaking positively of a “Synodal Church”, in reference to the reform promoted by Francisco, but also using the traditional red layer called Mozzetta, which its predecessor had set aside.
On the one hand, he has struggled to include iconic phrases associated with other potatoes in his various public comments.
During the prayer of Regina Caeli on May 11 in the Plaza de San Pedro, the new Pope improvised To tell young people: “Don’t be afraid! Accept the invitation of the Church and Christ Lord!” Many noticed the echo of the famous “Don’t be afraid!” of San Juan Pablo II in his inaugural homily of 1978, which marked his pontificate. On that same occasion, Leo XIV also repeated Paul VI’s call in 1965: “Never again war!”
The new Pope also took John Paul II the concept of “practical atheism”, which describes how Christians can live as if God did not exist, an idea that the Polish Pope popularized in encyclicals as Faith and Account. Benedict XVI further used that term, relating it to his criticism of the advance of secularization and relativism.
At the same time, Leo XIV has praised Pope Francis and his contributions. In his May 10 speech to the Colegio de Cardinals, he highlighted the exhortation Gospel joy 2013 as a guide to apply the Second Vatican Council and talked positively about synodality.
In that same message, however, he also claimed to quote Benedict XVI and Francisco, speaking of Christ as the ultimate hope of good will. This decision demonstrated an interest in broad continuity and also represented a remarkable change with respect to Francisco’s tendency to minimally cite his predecessors.
The synthesizing signs of the new Pope have also found themselves in their liturgical decisions. For example, in a period of three days, he used the splint, or pastoral cane, of two predecessors. During his first Mass as Pope in the Sistine Chapel, on May 9, Leo XIV had a gold cane in his hand, originally elaborated for Benedict XVI in 2009, but rarely used by Pope Francis. Two days later, he carried a silver splint, originally made for Pablo VI in 1965, but that John Paul II made famous throughout his pontificate.
And perhaps to make the point even more obvious, Pope Leo XIV after visiting the tomb of Pope Francis in the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor on May 10, prayed in front of the remains of the potatoes, including Benedict XVI and Pius XII in the Vatican Grutas on May 12.
Symbolic, but with impact
Given the great attention given to a new Pope during his initial stage in the Petrino trade, there is no doubt that Leo XIV has been intentional in his generalized gestures of “assent.” These indicate that he is aware of the need to unify the various groups within the Church, or at least not be typecast as improperly linked to a single pontificate.
Of course, perhaps the most important decision in this regard was Leo XIV’s decision not to choose the name of any Pope after Vatican II. Instead of Juan Pablo III, Benedict XVII or Francisco II, he opted for his homonym, Leo XIII, who reigned 60 years before the Second Vatican Council. This decision was a master play for a Pope who probably sought to avoid the pressure of “solving” the true meaning of Vatican II or betting too much for a papal interpretation on another.
And, at least in part, it seems that Leo XIV’s strategy is working.
In particular, some traditionalist groups that felt discouraged by Francisco’s pontificate now seem to be open to his successor, despite the fact that Leo XIV was appointed bishop and taken to Rome by Francisco himself.
The editors of the traditionalist blog Drop downthat they were from Francisco’s toughest critics, They wrote on May 11 about “an increasingly warm affinity with Leo XIV”.
“There is something unmistakably good in Him. He has a good heart. It seems sincerely friendly. That is already a great virtue for a bishop, and it is not as common as it should be.”
However, not all traditionalists are convinced. Some, like Timothy Gordon, warn that the initial gestures of the Pope, which attract the most conservative Catholics, They are part of a “public relations campaign” that does not guarantee anything on the direction that the Church will take.
The real tests are yet
The truth is that the Leo XIV approach of “unity by synthesis” remains largely symbolic at this point. A series of “winks”, but nothing really substantial. The true proof of what – and how much – extracts from each of its predecessors will come when you leave your footprint in matters such as the future of the traditional Mass in Latin or in great issues such as the possible decentralization of the doctrinal authority.
But the gestures of Leo XIV so far mean something. And for figures such as Cardinal Timothy Dolan from New York, who before the conclave expected a mixture of Francisco, Benedict XVI and Juan Pablo II, seems that Leo XIV is complying. In the process, it gives hope that its pontificate will not be ruptured or retraction, but of reconciliation.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in the National Catholic Register.
Jonathan Liedl
Jonathan Liedl is a senior editor of the National Catholic Register. He has studied Political Science and Arab studies at the University of Notre Dame and has a master’s degree in Catholic studies from St. Thomas. He is currently completing a master’s degree in theology at the Saint Paul Seminary. He lives in the twin cities of Minnesota.