An American Pope--a sign of hope?
May 9, 2025
Attempting to understand the reasons for the secret selection of a new Pope is a foolhardy undertaking, but that hasn’t stopped anyone in the media from sharing their opinions. It won’t stop me either, but I have the self-awareness and humility to acknowledge that everything I am about to say could be wildly wrong.
First, we should proceed with caution and recognize that the pace of change in the Catholic Church is so slow that the term “glacial” does not do it justice. (I speak as a Catholic who has been chomping at the bit for sixty years waiting for inevitable changes that almost everyone agrees will be adopted at some point.)
Second, the selection of the American-Peruvian Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV is a sign of continuity with the teachings and approach of Pope Francis—which is a hopeful sign. Pope Francis focused on the pastoral needs of the Church, often subordinating doctrine to tend to the spiritual needs and heal the pain of Catholics.
Third, Pope Leo XIV has a varied background that has exposed him to the modern secular state, the pastoral needs of the poor and dispossessed, and the politics of the Roman Curia. One practical reason for his quick election is that he guided the process of selecting some of the cardinals who voted for him to be the next Pope.
Like Francis, Leo XIV supports the rights of migrants to be treated with dignity and humanity—rather than as criminals or fugitives. Indeed, many in MAGA world were quick to criticize Pope Leo XIV because he has tangled with JD Vance over the issues of immigration and the need to love everyone equally (rather than ranking them by family, community, nationality, etc.) See Newsweek, Robert Prevost Criticized JD Vance Months Before Becoming Pope.
See also The Independent, MAGA melts down over ‘WOKE MARXIST POPE’ who is a ‘Never Trumper liberal’.
In what was intended to be a criticism of the new Pope, the New York Post ran the headline, New Pope Leo XIV spent years retweeting criticism of Trump policies.
As noted in the NYPost, Pope Leo XIV retweeted many tweets critical of Trump, including the following (when he was still a Bishop):
“Saying Trump’s ‘bad hombres’ line fuels ‘racism and nativism,’”
[On gun control] “To my colleagues: your cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed by thoughts and prayers. None of this ends unless we do something to stop it,” (quoting Senator Chris Murphy).
“We’re banning all Syrian refugees? The men, women and children who *most* need help? What an immoral nation we are becoming. Jesus weeps.”(quoting Jesuit priest James Martin).
All of the above (and more) suggest that Pope Leo XIV will be a force for good in the world—and will act as a global spiritual counterweight to the hate-fueled MAGA movement, whether he intends to be or not.
Still, I heard from one reader in a same sex marriage (with an adopted child) who was anxious over comments by then-Bishop Robert Prevost that were critical of “the homosexual lifestyle.” See Irish Star, New Pope Leo Robert Prevost's attacks on 'homosexual lifestyle' come back to haunt him. Per the Irish Star,
Comments from 2012 have surfaced, showing Prevost was critical about media that showed "sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel," including the "homosexual lifestyle" and "alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children . . . .”
Adhering to Catholic dogma as Pope is one thing but criticizing loving partners in a same sex marriage who adopt a child seems un-Christlike (to me). The only hope I can give on this front is that many otherwise reasonable people opposed same sex marriage until the Supreme Court legalized it in 2015 (e.g., President Barack Obama). Attitudes have changed tremendously in the last two decades, and one can only hope that Pope Leo XIV now sees that a loving couple raising an adopted child is a blessing for all concerned, including society at large.
So, we should proceed cautiously but with hope that the new Pope will preach to his flock that the hateful messages embedded in MAGA extremism contravene “the good news of the Gospel.”
Trump claims “trade deal” with the UK. It’s a sham.
Trump is desperate to prove that his tariffs are forcing other nations to the bargaining table. Because they are not, Trump has adopted the tactic of claiming that broad agreements in principle that cover only a fraction of the trade between two nations are “comprehensive, complete deals.” See The Independent, Trump and Starmer put lipstick on a pig of a trade deal.
While Trump was claiming that the deal was a major victory for the US, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board described the deal as a “retreat” for Trump. See WSJ, Trump Stages a Trade-War Retreat.
Per the WSJ Board,
[T]the looming economic damage [from tariffs] has proven to be too risky to be politically sustainable. If Republicans want to pretend this retreat is genius at work, fine with us as long as the damage is reduced. [¶]
Mr. Trump still has a long way to go to mitigate the harm from his tariff barrage, and some of it will be permanent in the form of higher border taxes and prices. But the British deal offers a template for a partial face-saving exit, if Mr. Trump will take it.
Trump withdraws Ed Martin nomination, appoints Fox infotainment personality Jeanine Pirro as Acting US Attorney for D.C.
Trump finally withdrew the nomination of Ed Martin to serve as US Attorney for the District of Columbia. Good work, everyone!
Trump immediately nominated Fox infotainment talking head Jeanine Pirro, who lacks the experience and credentials to run the US Attorney’s office in D.C. See Democratic National Committee War Room, Trump Taps Unqualified Election Denier, MAGA Loyalist, and Fox Personality Jeanine Pirro For Top Law Enforcement Job.
In a rational universe, the appointment of Pirro as acting US Attorney would be a major scandal. She is an election denier who helped spread false claims on Fox News and whose husband was pardoned in 2021 from a tax fraud conviction.
It is not clear whether Trump will nominate Pirro to serve as the “permanent” US Attorney for the District of Columbia. If Trump does nominate her, Democrats should fire up the opposition machinery and attempt to defeat her as well.
Join me in supporting Democracy Docket
All, I am hosting a Today’s Edition event to support the work of Democracy Docket on May 14 at 5:00 pm Pacific / 8:00 pm Eastern. I invite you to join me as I interview the premier voting rights litigator in the nation, Marc Elias.
The registration link is here (Register for Democracy Docket Event). I hope you will review my comments below to see why I am promoting Democracy Docket.
If you are not familiar with Democracy Docket, it is the leading digital news platform dedicated to delivering information, analysis and opinion about voting rights and elections in the courts. Democracy Docket was founded by Marc Elias in 2020 to help track and explain cases that matter to our efforts to defend democracy.
Why am I doing this?
The pro-democracy information environment is rapidly changing. Traditional outlets are disappearing or endangered (a worrisome sign), while newer platforms and sources (e.g., Substack) are burgeoning (a good sign). But those changes make it difficult to know which pro-democracy sources to follow and support.
Simply put, there is no better source for understanding voting rights and election litigation than Democracy Docket. The vital information resource provided by Democracy Docket is supplemented by opinion pieces by Marc Elias, who has become one of the most fearless voices in defending democracy during this challenging time.
As someone who writes this daily newsletter to inspire confidence and instill hope, I can honestly say that I find inspiration and hope in Marc Elias’s opinion pieces in Democracy Docket.
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Concluding Thoughts
Jill and I took time off from waiting for the arrival of our fifth grandchild to attend a Medicaid Vigil on the National Mall opposite the Capitol. The 24-hour vigil was sponsored by multiple organizations, including Care on Tour, the ACLU, SEIU, and others.
The timing of the vigil was intended to overlap with the efforts of House Republicans to move forward with a bill that will reduce Medicaid funding by up to $880 billion. But as I noted in yesterday’s newsletter, the grassroots protests and “empty chair” town halls across America appear to have stalled or derailed GOP plans to cut Medicaid funding.
The vigil was both uplifting and sobering. As always, it is inspiring to be around people who are fighting the good fight, even when the odds are long. The event was well organized and had terrific speakers. During the one hour we spent at the vigil, we heard from Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Senators Booker, Van Hollen, and Wyden. Talk about an impressive lineup! Each stepped up to the occasion.
But the vigil was also sobering. Many in the audience were Americans with disabilities who depend on Medicaid to help them live safe, healthy lives. A major cut to Medicaid would threaten their healthcare, independence, and lives. Candidly, it was heart-wrenching to hear their stories and to see the determination mixed with anxiety in their faces.
It is incomprehensible that the Trump administration is targeting medical care for the most vulnerable in our society. It is even more incomprehensible that Trump is targeting DEIA efforts to integrate and elevate disabled people into society and the workforce.
Among the many cruel things that MAGA extremists are attempting, the effort to remove healthcare from the disabled, elderly, and poor is among the cruelest.
America has plenty of money to pay for Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, SNAP, Pell Grants, and more. Our military budget is larger than the budgets of the next ten largest military budgets in the world combined.
Our most important charge as a nation is to care for our people. Ensuring healthcare for our most vulnerable populations should be non-negotiable. Indeed, it is a measure of who we are as a people: Do we take care of one another, or not?
Talk to you tomorrow!
The beauty of the Conclave is that we can’t know why Leo XIV was chosen.
But as a Catholic, I don’t in the slightest think it was an accident that this was the third consecutive election in which the values of authoritarianism were crushed.
There wasn’t a Cardinal in that chapel who was unaware of Trump’s obscene Pope meme. Was that the reason for the vote? Of course not.
But the awareness of the need for a rebirth of Rerum Novarum most certainly has been pushed into our consciousness and consciences by his combination of cruelty and narcissism.
Carney’s cleverly ironic comment that Trump is transformative was spot on. As painful as it is, we have been forced to look into the abyss of our own worst selves - and a compassionate American Augustinian may be exactly what is needed to remind us that we are one.
The Holy Spirit works in subtle and mysterious ways.
I had the same intuitive reaction as "Pediatrics." There is a resonance between Carney's election and the conclave's choice of a man from Southside Chicago, a magnetic alignment against the dark forces alien to the teachings of both Washington and Jesus. Together, and with others, they form a flank of courage and strength.