Era of American Pope begins: Will the ‘American' issues be finally resolved?

Time of India

10-05-2025

The duration of 'Conclave' might be roughly 120 minutes. But historically, it has taken years to elect a cardinal to lead the Catholic church. The longest period of a conclave lasted for almost 3 years, after which, Pope Gregory X emerged as the pontiff.
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However, despite the longest duration in the history of conclaves, the 1268-71 papal conclave is known as the first example of a papal election by "compromise."
Thankfully, in 2025 – keeping up with the tradition of the last five papal elections – the conclave lasted only for two days. As the white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel Thursday afternoon, after a short two-day period,
emerged as the newly elected pontiff.
Pope Leo XIV walked across the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in a white cassock.
The first American Pope :
Pope Leo XIV, who used to be Cardinal Robert Prevost, is a US-born pontiff from Chicago, making him the first American Pope.
Does that make him a tad bit more relevant to the issues the United States of America is currently grappling with?
Most probably, yes.
At least, that's what the Catholics of the US would presume.
After all, who would they seek out in times of conflict and dilemma – if not 'their own'?
But where does the American Pope stand on those issues? In particular, the issue of gender and immigration?
Let's take a look.
Who is Pope Leo XIV?
From what we know so far, Pope Leo XIV – who used to be Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost before he was elected as pontiff – is an Illinois-native, who has dual citizenship from the US and Peru and is a leader with global experience.
He is a Mathematics graduate from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, has engaged in philosophical studies that would later inform his theological perspective, and holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St.
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Thomas Aquinas.
Pope Leo XIV is also multilingual and is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and also reads Latin and German.
During his first address as a Pope, he spoke Italian and Spanish to the public, and emphasized peace – which made him come across as inclusive as it could get.
The question arises, is he really… 'as inclusive as it gets'?
Pope Leo XIV, who represents a 'dignified middle of the road', is to serve about 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide (nearly 20% of them are Americans)—many of whom come from the global south—during a period marked by decreases in Catholic Church attendance and great political conflict.
Among American Catholics, there is a rising issue regarding gender and immigration, especially under the current administration of Donald Trump.
Here's what we know so far about the new Pope's stances on key issues:
The LGBTQ+ Catholic Community:
The Catholic Church has historically maintained a firm stance against homosexuality, labeling it as a sin and prohibiting the marriage of same-sex couples within its sacred rituals. However, in a notable shift, a letter from
that surfaced in October 2023 advocated for the blessings of same-sex unions on a case-by-case basis.
In this epistle addressed to conservative cardinals, Francis emphasized the necessity of compassion and discernment: 'We cannot be judges who only deny, push back, and exclude,' he wrote. 'Pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing requested by individuals that do not convey a misunderstanding of matrimony.
When one seeks a blessing, one is requesting help from God.'
Now, the late Pope Francis' concern for the poor was noted in his critiques of capitalism, his quite visible support of refugees and migrants, and his outreach to liberationist, anarchist, communist, socialist, and liberal movements in Latin America that were under a cloud during the papacy of John Paul II.
In contrast, the centrist Pope Leo XIV stands out as more of a centrist.
The new Pope has taken a different approach regarding LGBTQ+ Catholics, as highlighted in a report from the College of Cardinals. In October 2024, Cardinal Prevost, a significant figure within the Church, articulated the importance of ongoing dialogues among episcopal conferences around the world to explore the potential for blessing same-sex couples.
He underscored that cultural contexts vary significantly across regions, particularly noting that in parts of Africa, cultural norms diverge starkly from those in the West.
Prevost explained, 'The bishops in the episcopal conferences of Africa were basically saying, that here in Africa, our whole cultural reality is very different… it wasn't rejecting the teaching authority of Rome; it was saying that our cultural situation is such that the application of this document is just not going to work.'
He drew attention to the grave consequences faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in certain African countries, where laws could punish homosexuality with the death penalty. 'So, we're in very different worlds,' Prevost stated.
Reflecting on his previous stance towards queer couples, the New York Times cited a significant statement from Leo in 2012, where he expressed disappointment at how media and pop culture appeared to empathize with beliefs and practices contrary to Christian teachings.
In contrast, Francis had been vocal against laws criminalizing LGBTQ+ identities, deeming them 'unjust' and striving to foster an environment of inclusion within the Church.
Now, the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump – as soon as he took office for the Trump 2.0 administration – rolled back orders from the previous Joe Biden administration, calling them "unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and radical practices within every agency and office of the Federal Government".
Two of the orders he revoked included a Biden directive aimed at preventing discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
Trump also signed an order recognising two sexes only - male and female – and declaring that they cannot be changed.
The order stated, "These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality," adding, "'Sex' is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of 'gender identity'."
In fact, in his inaugural address, Trump even used different phraseology, saying: "As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female."
Now that an American Pope has become the Vicar of Christ, succeeding a pontiff who held a much more inclusive approach towards the LGBTQ community, will Pope Leo XIV build his legacy on that principle of empathy? The world (especially the marginalized communities) awaits to see.
The Migrant Matter:
Unlike the issue of the LGBTQ community, Pope Leo's perspective on migration aligns closely with that of his predecessor, the late Pope Francis.
Jesus Leon Angeles, a coordinator of a Catholic group in Peru with personal ties to Prevost, remarked on the new pope's genuine concern for Venezuelan migrants seeking refuge in Peru amid severe economic turmoil. Currently, over 1.5 million Venezuelans have relocated to Peru, fleeing their homeland's crisis.
Pope Francis has been a staunch advocate for migrants, demonstrating his solidarity through various communications, including a poignant letter to U.S. bishops amidst a politically charged environment under President Donald Trump's second term. This period was marked by proposals for mass deportation and other harsh immigration policies that targeted undocumented individuals. Francis wrote to the bishops, emphasizing, 'Your work in defending migrants is deeply rooted in the mission of Christ and the history of the Church.
' He further stressed that while regulating migration is necessary, it must never compromise the inherent dignity of every individual.
In fact, an old tweet from a verified account on X (formerly, Twitter) carrying the name Robert Prevost resurfaced after the election, where the account user wrote, 'JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others.'
The post was made back in February, where the X account posted an article titled 'JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others'.
The story by National Catholic Reporter slammed Vance for talking about the 'Christian concept' of love.
Over a week later, the same account posted another article about VP Vance. This time, the story was titled: 'Pope Francis' letter, JD Vance's 'ordo amoris', and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration'.
Coincidence much? Seems unlikely.
But that's not all. The American pontiff does have to address one major controversy as well.
It's the issue of sexual abuse.
When the late Pope Francis assumed the role of the pontiff, the media attention on the systematic cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church was at its height, with many instances coming to light under his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.
Although in the first years of his papacy, the late Pope was criticized for his failure to act against sexual abuse in the church, he attempted to reform his policies in later years.
He was even quoted as telling Chilean victims of clerical sexual abuse that he himself 'was part of the problem' and apologized for dismissing accusations of a cover-up by Catholic bishops.
Moreover, in 2019, Francis publicly acknowledged the problem of the sexual abuse of nuns by priests and bishops and also warned against psychological and spiritual abuses of sisters.
In case of the new Pope, before he became the pontiff – the advocacy group Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests accused Prevost of covering up sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church while he was leading the Diocese of Chiclayo.
Now, the Catholic community's contentious history with sexual abuse—and its coordinated efforts to cover these instances up—remains an ongoing issue. As the American Pope takes over the entire religious community and dons the Fisherman's Ring – the Catholics, as well as the whole world, will be a spectator to what steps Pope Leo XIV takes to 'use his authority to enact fundamental, institutional changes to end the systematic practice of sexual abuse and its concealment.
'
What else has he got on his plate?
Women's role in the Church:
Pope Leo has taken a resolute stance against the ordination of women, mirroring the traditional view of Francis. During the Synod on Synodality in October 2023, he articulated that 'ordaining women—and there's been some women that have said this, interestingly enough—'clericalizing women' doesn't necessarily solve a problem; it might create new ones.' Nevertheless, he acknowledged the noteworthy progress made during Francis's papacy, citing the appointment of women to leadership roles as proof that their contributions are invaluable to the Church's mission.
Throughout his twelve-year tenure, Francis demonstrated a commitment to empowering women, granting them voting rights during synodal gatherings and progressively appointing them to senior roles, although he still maintained the position that women could not serve as priests. A landmark moment occurred in 2024 when Francis washed the feet of female inmates from a Roman prison, marking an unprecedented gesture as the first pope to perform this act solely for women.
Addressing climate change:
As an advocate for environmental stewardship, it is expected that Pope Leo will continue the legacy of Francis in addressing climate change. In previous remarks, he has urged the Church to assume a proactive role in combating environmental degradation. 'Dominion over nature' should not translate to a 'tyrannical' exploitation of the Earth, Prevost articulated during a seminar in November, advocating instead for a symbiotic relationship with creation.
This seminar had its origins in a call from Pope Francis, who urged the Church to respond with 'compassion' to the crisis of climate change, labeling environmental harm as a 'structural sin.' The late pontiff intricately linked climate change to its disproportionately severe repercussions on the developing world, stating, 'We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis that is both social and environmental.
'
To summarize…
Although Pope Leo XIV's roots lie in Illinois, Chicago, inside the Vatican, he is known as the 'least American' of the American cardinals.
Prevost's brother, John Prevost, has high hopes for him, as he said his brother would make a good pope because he has 'a deep feeling for the disenfranchised, for the poor, for those who were not listened to.' John told CNN affiliate WBBM, 'I think the very fact that in his heart, in his very soul, he wanted to be a missionary.
He didn't want the bishop. He didn't want the cardinal, but that's what he's asked to do, so that's what he did.
'
Not just that, John holds the new Pope to the highest expectations, as he thinks his brother 'will be a second Pope Francis,' and 'will follow right in his footsteps working for the underprivileged.'
John might not be wrong to expect that, as Pope Leo XIV was reportedly well regarded by the late Pope Francis himself. As CNN's Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb quoted, the late pontiff 'respected him and thought of him very highly,' saying, 'Clearly Pope Francis saw in him something – he saw him as a capable leader.'
Did the late Pope measure him right?
Here's to waiting for the answer to unfold.
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