New pope sparks insights of all sorts

Image by Markus Spiske from Pixabay

The white smoke has cleared away over the Vatican after Thursday’s election of Pope Leo XIV. Many observers are still wondering what sort of leader would begin his first official speech with the words, “Peace be with you.” Writers of all sorts began to weigh in almost immediately with translations, biographical pieces on the first American pope, hope-filled analysis, best wishes, immediate disappointments and, yes, local angles. 

The Vatican News service translated Leo’s first message from the papal balcony outside St. Peter’s, including his explanation of the peace he referred to: “This is the peace of the risen Christ, a disarming and humble and preserving peace,” he said. “It comes from God. God, who loves all of us, without any limits or conditions.”

The Catholic News Agency offered a biography of Leo, noting his varied background. He has both pastoral and administrative experience, is a canon lawyer and an Augustinian, ministered in both the United States and South America and once observed of bishops, “We are often preoccupied with teaching doctrine, the way of living our faith, but we risk forgetting that our first task is to teach what it means to know Jesus Christ and to bear witness to our closeness to the Lord.”

Leo’s experience with social media is disturbing to some of President Donald Trump’s supporters For a discussion and summary of MAGA comments, listen or read a transcript of The New Republic's interview with Matt McManus, who writes about conservative thought. His latest book is The Political Right and Equality.

In contrast, the Rev. James Martin, S.J., a friend of Pope Francis who posts regularly on X and a competitor, Bluesky, was lavish with his praise on Thursday: “I know Pope Leo XIV to be a kind, open, humble, modest, decisive, hard-working, straightforward, trustworthy, and down-to-earth man,” he wrote. “A brilliant choice. May God bless him.” 

Two Oregon newspapers recorded Catholic reactions to the cardinals’ selection. The Oregonian quoted Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland: “It is with great joy that we receive the news that a new pope has been elected to shepherd us in the universal Church.” 

The Bend Bulletin interviews included the Rev. John Kerns of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Lake Oswego. “The background of Pope Leo XIV gives me a strong sense that he gets what day-to-day life is like for my parishioners and me,” Kerns said. “And his résumé, which took him all over the world, gives me the sense that he gets a day-to-day life of people from a wide variety of nations.”

When Pope Leo himself spoke Friday morning as he celebrated Mass in the Sistine Chapel, he returned to a favorite theme as he urged all church authorities to “make oneself small,” according to the National Catholic Reporter:

“Move aside,” he said, “so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small so that he may be known and glorified, to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and to love him.”