‘Let This Papacy Be a Light in Darkening Times'
To the Editor:
Re 'An American Pope' (front page, May 9):
In an age of crises and confusion, it is no small thing to have a new pope. Humanity longs for a moral compass, and Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, may well be that rare guide. In him, we hope for the twin virtues of logic and justice. Let this papacy be a light in darkening times, and astonishingly, a rare moment to be proud to be an American.
But more than hope, we need courage. Authoritarianism is no longer creeping; it's parading in capitals from Moscow to Budapest to Washington. The pope, above politics yet not beyond truth, can speak the inconvenient word when others remain silent.
And then there is capitalism, a brilliant machine now spinning wildly out of control. When so few hands hold most of the world's wealth and billions grow poorer, divine justice demands a reckoning. A pope with clarity and courage can call for not just charity, but drastic change as well. So the wish 'God bless America' might have a truer meaning.
Dimitris Eleas
Brooklyn
To the Editor:
I hope the importance of the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as pope is not lost on any American, whether Catholic or not. This new pope, who has spent his life championing social justice, stands in stark contrast to our selfish and cruel American president.
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