Pope Leo XIV: A "Pope of Two Worlds"

If one follows - like the American himself - the last Pope named Leo, the term could last until 205. The pontificate of Leo XIII (181-1903), known as the "Workers' Pope," lasted 25 years. At his inauguration, the Italian was almost as old as Prevost is currently. But of course, we are still far from that.

The first steps of Pope Leo XIV are now being closely watched

For the new head of 1.4 billion Catholics, the work only began on Friday: in the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals under 80 years old chose the man from among them as the successor to Francis in one of the shortest conclaves in church history. After less than 24 hours and four ballots, the meeting was over. Now the church leaders celebrated a joint mass there once again, led by the new man in papal white. Naturally, every one of his first steps is being closely watched: How does the new one present himself? Everywhere it is read that Leo XIV - one must first get used to the name - will continue the course of his predecessor. Again someone from America, though not from Argentina, but from the USA. Again a religious man, though not from the Jesuits, but from the Augustinians. And again someone whose special interest is in people on the margins of the world and society.

Born in Chicago, but long gone from the USA. Doctoral studies in Rome, many years as a missionary and bishop in Peru, most recently as head of the Vatican department for all bishops worldwide, a kind of personnel chief of the Catholic Church. A world citizen. Or, as the newspaper "La Stampa" calls him, a "Pope of the two worlds." That would certainly have pleased Francis. But differences are already noticeable. Right at his first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the new Pontiff made a break. Not because he appears so much younger than the previous old, health-impaired, and visibly suffering Pope. But because Leo XIV, unlike his predecessor who presented himself modestly in plain white in 2013, came appropriately with a red shoulder cape and stole of gold brocade.

Church historian: Pope Leo XIV "not a carbon copy of Francis"

The German church historian Hubert Wolf commented: "He apparently wanted to make it clear: I am not a carbon copy of Francis." After a dinner with the other cardinals, the new church leader then made a detour to the Palazzo del Sant'Uffizio, where he had been living. He had himself driven in a dark electric SUV from VW, unlike Francis, who traveled in a small white Fiat 500. The license plate was the same: SCV 1. SCV stands for Stato della Città Vaticano. The 1 is the Pope. The Pope with three citizenships - his birth country USA, his interim home Peru, and now as head of state of the Vatican - had to give his first autographs in front of his old residence. Laughter ensued when he asked a girl about the day, as if he didn't have the date of his election as Pope in mind. It remains open whether he will move back into the Apostolic Palace like previous pontiffs or stay in the Santa Marta guesthouse like Francis. Most are betting on the palace.

Pope Leo XIV not Trump's Preferred Candidate

More attention will be paid to how the US Pope behaves towards the US President than to the similarities and differences with Francis. Donald Trump was among the very first to congratulate him in the evening. On his online platform Truth Social, he celebrated a "great honor" to have a Pope from the United States for the first time. But it is not certain if the jubilation will last: Trump would certainly have preferred other, more conservative US cardinals over Prevost. Everyone noticed that Leo XIV, in his first speech held in Italian, also spoke a few sentences in Spanish, but not a single word in English. This was likely to emphasize how much Latin America - the world region from which millions of immigrants originate, living in the US without residence permits - is close to his heart. He has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration's handling of such migrants. The new Pope is more aligned with a former president from his birthplace Chicago: Barack Obama.

Criticism from Pope Leo XIV of US Vice J.D. Vance

In February, still as a cardinal, Prevost also opposed Trump’s vice J.D. Vance. The new Catholic (since 2019) had promoted as a "Christian concept" that "one loves their family, then their neighbor, then their community, then their fellow citizens, and after that the rest of the world." Prevost then shared an opinion piece on the platform X: "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus does not ask us to grade our love for others." That Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as Pope before the conclave began likely did not please the new pontiff either. Some even expect that Leo XIV could develop into a kind of "counter-Pope" to the US President. The Benedictine abbot Nikodemus Schnabel already drew a comparison with the pontiff who had the greatest political influence in recent times. "John Paul II, the Pope from Poland, shook communism," said the pastor on ARD. "A US Pope can, I believe, similarly shake the USA."

(APA/Red)

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