New Pope wants to give peace a chance
Comment: Habemus papam ('we have a Pope'). Along with the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, these Latin words informed the world that the Roman Catholic Church had elected a new pontiff: Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost.
The first words of the Pope's inaugural address to the church and the world, Urbi et Orbi ('for the city and for the world'), are significant: 'Peace be with you.' In beginning with these words, said to have been spoken by Jesus Christ to his disciples at his resurrection, Pope Leo XIV made clear he intends the Catholic Church to be an advocate of peace and unity among its members.
Pope Leo XIV is the first pontiff from the Order of St Augustine, a religious community within the Catholic Church founded in 1244 and named after Saint Augustine of Hippo (AD354-430). Pope Leo XIV joined this order – which commits its members to sharing all possessions in common – when he was 22. In an Interview with the Augustinian Order shortly after becoming a Cardinal in 2023, Pope Leo XIV explained St Augustine's personal significance for him:
'St Augustine's teachings … help us to live in communion. Unity and communion are essential charisms [gifts of grace] of the life of the Order and a fundamental part of understanding what the Church is and what it means to be in it.'
An Augustinian emphasis on the unity of all Christians is also reflected in Pope Leo XIV's episcopal motto, 'In Illo uno unum' ('In the One, we are one'). These are from a sermon given by St Augustine in the Biblical text of Psalm 127, wherein he affirms that 'although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one'. In a world of increasing division and conflict, the election of Pope Leo XIV may be said to signal a turn towards Christians' shared identity as followers of Jesus Christ, who, Pope Leo XIV says in his first address, remains necessary for 'uniting us all to be one people always at peace'.
Like his predecessor Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV's paternal grandparents were immigrants to the Americas from Europe. For many, Pope Leo XIV is notable for being the first Pope to have been born in North America; equally significant, however, is that he is the second Latin American Pope (the first being Francis). Sent to Peru in 1985, Pope Leo XIV became Peruvian in 2015. In his opening address, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged his connection with, and gratitude for, his former Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru by speaking directly to this community in Spanish. In doing so, Pope Leo XIV became the first Pope to speak Spanish as part of his inaugural address. Notably, he did not utter any words in English.
A concern for immigrants, identity and belonging may also be seen to underlie the new Pope's choice of papal name. The last Pope Leo – Leo XIII – is often remembered for his 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum on 'the rights and duties of capital and labour'. In this document, often considered foundational for Catholic social teaching, Pope Leo XIII warns against the social-economic exploitation of workers and the vulnerable. In relation to immigrants, Rerum novarum pointedly notes that 'no one would exchange his country for a foreign land if his own afforded him the means of living a decent and happy life'. Implicit here is a concern for the vulnerability and basic needs of those who are forced to make this 'exchange' and seek a new domicile.
Rerum novarum was cited by Pope Pius XII in his 1952 Apostolic Constitution 'On the Spiritual Care of Immigrants', which points towards the forced displacement of Jesus and his family, Mary and Joseph, and highlights the need to care for those who face a similar situation today. As a Cardinal, Pope Leo XIV shared criticism of the current US administration's policies towards deporting immigrants, including its decision to in effect disappear individuals without trial into a notoriously violent El Salvadorian prison. This treatment of fellow human beings and neighbours stands in clear contrast with Pope Leo XIV's understanding of Christian love and a church that 'always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer'.
Although Pope Leo XIV's identity as a second pontiff from the Americas should not be overlooked, it is worth stressing his moral and pastoral concern has consistently been on the unity of the Christian church, and the obligation to concern ourselves with any human being in need, regardless of his or her secular nationality.
In a 2023 interview with Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV stated that 'my vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is'. Similarly, when asked what it is to be a bishop today, the future Bishop of Rome affirmed that 'our first task is to teach what it means to know Jesus Christ and to bear witness to our closeness to the Lord'. The identity of Christians as missionaries is also evident in the new Pope's first address, in which he thanked his 'brother cardinals who have chosen me to be Successor of Peter and walk together with you … to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries'.
While the church affirms to the world 'we have a Pope', Pope Leo XIV affirms to the church that – in relation to the marginalised, the displaced, and the vulnerable – 'we have a mission'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Call for Pope Leo to issue abuse zero tolerance policy
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States, appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on May 8. Photo: Stoyan Nenov/Reuters via CNN Newsource A Fijian abuse survivor is urging the new head of the Catholic church to adopt a zero tolerance policy for child sex abuse. Felix Fremlin was seven years old when he was molested by a New Zealand Marist Brother at his primary school in Suva. Although he had received a written apology and FJD$15,000 (approx US$6,680) in financial compensation from the Marist Brothers Order of New Zealand and the Pacific, Fremlin said it's not enough. Speaking to Pacific Waves , Fremlin said culture and faith prevents many people in the Pacific from speaking out. "It's a Pacific island thing, everybody looks upon the church as messengers of God, and so for people to talk about it... it's a taboo thing," he said. Seeking mental health support is also a struggle for Fremlin. Photo: Supplied "So here, we don't have any specialists where survivors can go to for counselling. The church here has offered counselling but the counsellors here belong to the church itself. So when you go for counselling, you report back to the church." Fremlin also expressed his dissatisfaction over Pope Leo's appointment as the new pontiff, claiming the former cardinal had allegedly concealed abuse cases of three women while he served as a bishop in Peru in 2022. However, Fremlin said the onus is now on Pope Leo to stand with abuse survivors, calling for him to enact the zero tolerance law. The newly elected Pope Leo waves from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday. Photo: Francesco Sforza/Vatican Media/Reuters via CNN Newsource An earlier attempt was done in November 2024 when former Jesuit priest, Reverand Hans Zollner, joined abuse survivors at a press conference in Rome urging Pope Francis to apply the zero-tolerance law throughout the entire 1.4 billion-member church. The law would effectively remove any priests guilty of abuse from the ministry. For Fremlin, it's about taking concrete steps in protecting the most vulnerable. "When survivors tried to seek or converse with the church, the church gives them the runaround, and always the lawyers," he said. "My experience in Fiji is that they bring up the lawyers and then they hide behind the lawyers you know, so I wish the pope would come on this - it's just something that he can put into law that the survivors can go to, without the church giving them the runarounds." In a statement sent to RNZ Pacific, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference said significant work has been undertaken to "promote a culture of awareness and vigilance". An immediate risk assessment is carried out once a complainant in New Zealand comes forward. Any risk identified would result in the accused priest to step down. For those convicted of abuse, the conference said the policies in place would permanently remove them from the ministry. The conference also said that abuse survivors can seek a mental health counsellor of their choice. "If they don't have already a counsellor, the church can provide them a list of counsellors to choose from - with some or all being people without ties to the church." Even if Pope Leo was to eventually adopt a zero-tolerance policy, Fremlin said it'll do little to restore his faith in the church. "It's like asking the cow to jump over the moon. It's very hard for [the survivors] to come out openly. "We're just hoping for something concrete you know, written in black and white, that states they're doing something about it." A general view shows Pope Leo XIV leading a Holy Mass for the Beginning of his Pontificate, in St Peter's square in The Vatican Photo: AFP / TIZIANA FABI A long-standing advocate of Pacific abuse survivors said they deserve more justice. Dr Murray Heasley, who was instrumental in Fremlin's case, said the payout that Fremlin and his brother John received is "outrageous". "It's about dignity; it's about human rights," he said. "How can you be paying a fraction of the money to a Fijian survivor abused by a New Zealander in Fiji, particularly if you take into consideration some of the notion of the colonial background and the assumption of superiority of Western culture at the time... The colonial mentality seems to still be in place. "If you happen to be a Fijian survivor that got sexually molested by a New Zealander, you're worth less as a human being? Than a Pasifika abused in New Zealand? Why the differentiation? "It's absolutely outrageous and it has to be revisited now. The FMS Marist Brothers have massive resources." The New Zealand Bishop Conference said each case that the church considers is unique and so is each response. Part of the response can include an ex gratia payment to a survivor as part of the 'healing process'. However, they also said that "comparisons cannot be made between different cases across the various components of each process". Last year, New Zealand journalist Pete McKenzie broke the story in the New York Times of how the Pacific was used as a 'dumping ground' for accused priests . Heasley said it was a 'standard procedure'. "It's extremely common to shift predators around. It was called the geographic cure. It didn't cure anything. "The worst predators were those who were fluent in the local language, Fiji and Samoan and Tongan, because parents trusted them. They used the language to predate and groom." The New Zealand Catholic Bishop's Conference responded with a statement they had issued last year in response to McKenzie's story. "We were given 10 or 11 specific names and NONE had any record of allegations of abuse before they were assigned to ministry in the Pacific. It was anything but 'common practice', the statement said. "Catholic priests and religious [orders] have regularly been appointed to the Pacific Islands to support the faith life of communities there. For many religious orders, the Pacific is part of the same province as New Zealand. "There is no record of any of the nine men about whom [McKenzie] enquired being accused of abuse before the order of diocese appointed to them to the Pacific. Allegations against some were not received until after their death." Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI As for Pope Leo's alleged handling of abuse cases in Peru, Heasley said he's concerned. "We've seen pushback from people inside the Catholic Church calling these women 'liars'. It's an astonishing thing where you have so-called advocates of women's voices, the silence of women's voices coming in behind the pope who they see as a fellow Peruvian because he has joint citizenship ." He said canon lawyer Brendan Daly has called the sexual abuse of children the greatest threat to the Catholic church. "None of these folks are dealing with this, and even to this point, with this new pope has yet to say anything except to deny the accusation. He has not reached out to sexual survivors, and without that, he is not an acceptable pope." The New Zealand Catholic Bishop Conference said there are many first-hand reports "including from victims and survivors of abuse" that have shared their appreciation for how well then-Bishop Prevost handled the cases in Peru. "He played a pivotal role in having a religious community shut down - which is a rare and severe course of action," the statement read.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
War explained
A French doctor tends wounded Algerians at a dressing station at Tanouat during the war in Morocco. — Otago Witness, 4.8.1925 Paris, June 9: A bulletin from Fez reports that contingents of rebel tribesmen were proceeding in the direction of the Tanouat heights, where they were outflanked by the French cavalry and friendly tribesmen and forced to retreat with heavy losses. The French artillery stopped a fresh enemy attack. The Paris correspondent of The Times states regarding the Franco-Spanish Government conversations which are now proceeding that the French hope that an agreement may be reached for a joint blockade of the Moroccan coast. Th correspondent emphasises that, by this means, Abd-el Krim's sources of supply will be effectively cut off, and his military position seriously injured, though there is reason to believe that he is already in possession of a large stock of rifles and ammunition. The situation of the Riff, along the southern shore of the Straits of Gibraltar, with a frontage to the busiest seaway of the world, makes it too important to leave in disputed ownership. If Spain were driven out, France might well be moved to take her place, either by conquest or negotiation. That would never be accepted without protest by Italy, who jealously watches the balance of power in the Mediterranean, while as regards ourselves it would have the effect of reducing Gibraltar from a fortress guarding our communications with the East to a picturesque relic as ineffective as the Tower of London. Trams will cope To the editor: Sir, I have read your article in Monday's issue of the Otago Daily Times and let me assure you that my committee and the management are devoting their attention towards our requirements during the six months' period. It is not always advisable in business negotiations for a public body, especially where it is concerned in competition for rolling stock suitable only for a limited period, to broadcast or divulge its intentions. In company with the manager I interviewed the chairman and manager of the Christchurch tramways to see if we could secure the hire of any Christchurch cars and trailers. May I add, further, that the manager and myself have conferred on several occasions as to securing temporary rolling stock and buses and, for some time past, inquiries have been made through various sources throughout the dominion. Your statement that all our available rolling stock was in operation during Show Week is contrary to fact. Our present rolling stock, for the city system only, consists of 58 cars, three trailers, and two buses. During Show Week only 48 cars, with the trailers and buses, were in use. At the present time we are building, to be completed in time for the Exhibition, three more trailers, four more buses, and another box car will be available, giving a total of 72 cars, trailers and buses, against 53 used during Show Week, and capable of carrying 1250 additional persons. — I am, etc, James S. Douglas, Chairman Tramways Committee NZ women's place At the International Conference of the Council of Women, held in Washington recently, 42 countries were represented. Mrs Fraer, president of the Christchurch branch of the Women's National Council, sat on the committees of the conference dealing with education, suffrage and an equal moral standard for men and women. "They would persist in thinking New Zealand a little Garden of Eden," said Mrs Fraer, "and they would not believe us when we told them that we had no women justices of the peace, no women magistrates, no women jurors, no woman member of Parliament, no women police. 'It is simply not possible,' they said. 'We have always heard that New Zealand is so progressive'." Mrs Fraer came to the conclusion that, apart from those matters, New Zealand had no reason to be ashamed of itself in regard to progress and social conditions. — ODT, 10.6.1925 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)
The Spinoff
5 days ago
- The Spinoff
A different kind of memoir? Five fake Jacinda Ardern books, read and reviewed
Generative AI can do anything these days, including, it would seem, write the former prime minister's hotly anticipated memoir. Mirjam Guesgen dives into this curious new literary genre. Jacinda Ardern's memoir, A Different Kind of Power, has been described by The Guardian as 'a strikingly different kind of political memoir' and 'often funny, compulsively readable and intimate' by The Listener. The Age reviewer, Jenna Price, said she'd cried twice by the time she reached page 60. Excited to spend my evenings being let into the inner sanctum of Ardern's thoughts and hopes, I hurriedly opened my Amazon page to get my hands on a copy (yes, I have Amazon because I live in Canada and have succumbed to the wiles of capitalism). But as well as being met by the expected black, white and fluorescent yellow cover, I came across half a dozen other versions of the book, all published around the same time as Power's release. Jacinda – or someone who looks vaguely like her –beamed at me from the covers, inviting me to glean the many facets of her life through these pages. I've never downloaded a veritable shelf of Kindle books faster. What follows is my review of a selection of these works. Jacinda Ardern Memoir: Navigating Different Kind of Power between Politics and Family By Luiz Goncalves 'Who is Jacinda Ardern?' That's the question at the heart of this 'unauthorised memoir'. I'm not sure the author knows what memoir means but that's beside the point because, according to Goncalves, 'Ardern's story is one that needs to be told.' By the end of the introduction, I can feel Goncalves' deep admiration for Ardern – in a kind of fake, robotic sense. He's writing this because he's moved by her story and wants to give us a fuller picture of her life. Unfortunately, Goncalves doesn't deliver on his goal. The book reads like one of those terrible essays you wrote in high school, parsed with such choice phrases as 'another significant moment' and 'one memorable moment'. It feels like you're reading a resume, padded out by clichés. Perhaps that's because this Luiz Goncalves, author, is either a roof inspector in Montreal, a Spanish and Portuguese lecturer at Princeton (unlikely), or a visually impaired runner. I'll give it to Goncalves though, he does have a way of turning the most mundane occurrences into literary page-fillers. Take the time that Ardern noticed that someone had stolen from her school tuck shop (did this even happen? I don't know). He waxes lyrical about the incident for no fewer than two paragraphs and describes it as an example of Ardern's moral compass. '… ultimately … prioritizing justice over social popularity'. My favourite chapter was the riveting one on her net worth. Don't be fooled, would-be reader! This isn't a recital of basic facts and figures. It's a way for the author to show you how her modest earnings are a testament to her career in public service. Goncalves concludes by posing the question, 'What if there were 10 Jacinda Arderns, or even thousands?' (There certainly are around 10 fake books about her.) Rating: 7 out of 10 large language models. Short and sweet. Not as short and sweet as Arderns Wikipedia page, which eerily has many of the same details… Power With Kind Purpose: The Jacinda Ardern Story By Amanda Humper (or Eleanor Riggs?) I was nervous about Googling this author's name, which appears in the Amazon listing but not on the cover, for some reason, for fear of what might pop up. Thankfully there is no Amanda Humper, so I needn't have worried. But maybe it was Eleanor Riggs who wrote this book, as the cover would suggest… Regardless of the author, I'm immediately drawn into this rendition of Ardern's story. The table of contents has been left completely blank, imbuing a sense of mystery into the whole thing. Humper's (or is it Riggs'?) goal in writing this account is to 'provide a comprehensive, nuanced account' that 'avoids hagiography'. It certainly does that. The chapter on Ardern's first term is so detailed, in fact, it'll have you asking, 'is this a white paper or a novel?'. If you want a blow-by-blow breakdown of all political policies that Ardern was involved in, then this is the book for you! The author does find space, however, for some colour in their storytelling. For example, the Whakaari/White Island eruption is described in gripping detail as 'a very significant event'. They also do a good job of making sure you know just how important this long list of facts and biographical details is, by adding phrases like 'had a profound impact', 'shaped' and 'marked a significant milestone' in almost every paragraph. A final interesting detail is that this memoir directly references Ardern's real 2025 memoir, stating that it 'cemented her power' – even though this book was published four days before the release of A Different Kind of Power. Prime Minister Movie Guide: Jacinda Ardern's Journey Through Tragedy and Triumph By Gregory J Edwards The cover of this book is what prompted me to purchase and review it. It features a solemn-looking Ardern (eeerr…) covered with what appear to be strange news article headlines and photographs. The longer I look at the tortured faces and garbled words, the more scared I become. This book starts off strong and it almost makes me feel like I'm reading a real book. I'm not sure where the movie part comes in though. I'm confused, but push on. By page nine, the text reads, 'this makes the 2025 documentary Prime Minister more than just a chronicle of what happened'. Ah. This is based on the Sundance film released in January 2025. My fault. Rating: 0 out of 10. Not ADKOP book. Jacinda Ardern Biography (Biographies of the Famous) By Famed History I was excited to review this book because it's the latest instalment in a series of biographies that also includes other great leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Buffalo Bill. Surely this publisher knows what they're doing. They really built my expectations, too. In the introduction I'm told that 'this is more than just a story' and to 'get ready to be touched, challenged, and uplifted'. Alright Famed History, let's go! I'm psyched. And in a way, they deliver on this promise. This is certainly the most grandiloquent of the books I reviewed. Ardern is described as someone who 'saw people as individuals, not numbers' and 'a child who believed the softest voice could bring about real change'. Maybe these are the tear jerkers that Price mentioned? But the emotive language isn't reserved for the fine print. Famed History has a way with words when it comes to chapter titles, with such greats as 'Dreams Beyond the Horizon' and 'A Leader in Lockdown'. Every description in this book is cranked up to 110. Murupara, for example, one of the towns of Ardern's youth, is described in a way that makes it sound like 1970s Harlem (yes, I concede that there's been a history of gang violence there). In another section, Famed History describes Ardern's transition out of high school: 'While others looked for careers focussed on wealth and prestige, Jacinda looked inwards. Her calling was about purpose… she enrolled… to study communication.' The same goes for her journey through politics: [We're about half way through her political story at this point, having read about her numerous involvements in local and international politics] 'what followed was a story few could have predicted'. With so much tension and drama throughout, you might wonder how such a book could end. Well, with a request by the author to give the book a good review if you liked it. Rating: 9 out of 10 tear-sodden tissues. Leading Quietly: How Jacinda Ardern Changed the World By Gordon D Flyn Since Prime Minister Movie Guide was a bust, I decided I needed to review one more Ardern memoir. Did I pick a lovely short read to ease my tired, Kindle-dried eyes? No, dear reader, I did not. I picked the longest book I could find. How did this book fill double the amount of pages as many of the previous works? The answer lay in repetition and a seeming lack of any kind of chronology. It haphazardly jumps from a summary of how Ardern handled the Covid-19 pandemic on page 20 back to details of her birth on page 22. In case you get reading whiplash, Flyn (with one n) makes sure to repeat everything at least twice, so you can piece the story together. He also conveniently bolds certain words and phrases throughout the book, and summarises key points of particular chapters with handy bullet-point lists. Confusion problem solved. One thing that Flyn does well is providing detailed portrayals of Ardern's communication strategy (including how she used social media and other 'modern technology'); what it was like working in a coalition government; and reactions to her resignation from around the world – all areas the other books I read didn't touch. Flyn also makes it very clear that this is not A Different Kind of Power. It's better. On page five he writes that this book seeks to answer a different set of questions. Questions like: how does a small town girl come to redefine global expectations? In chapter nine, Flyn provides the reader with a review of ADKOP (a book within a book!) He once again reiterates that this biography will delve deeper than that other paperweight. Sadly, we're 91% through this book already, leaving little time for Flyn to deliver on his promise. The book finishes with six pages of appendices, selected quotes, awards and further reading. In case these 126 pages weren't enough. Afterword I ran random sections of these books through ZeroGPT, an AI detection tool, and all were found to have been made by generative AI. Some were up to 98.7% AI-written. These books are part of a growing slew of AI-generated books scamming would-be readers. They are released around the same time as a highly anticipated book and try to profit off the hype by getting people to download them accidentally. My review of this phenomenon: another example of generative AI diluting and disrupting the media landscape. 0 out of 10.
