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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Other American ‘Popes'
WHEN WHITE SMOKE DRIFTED over the Sistine Chapel and the name Leo XIV was announced earlier this month, billions of Catholics and non-Catholics alike around the world raced to learn more about the new pontiff. Born Robert Francis Prevost and raised in Chicago, he is the first American to ascend to the papacy. He is a product of an American Catholic family and an alumnus of American Catholic institutions, having graduated from Villanova and the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago before joining the Order of St. Augustine and spending years in missionary service in Peru. As news of his election spread, so did Chicago-themed memes and other displays of hometown pride. A small number of Americans, though, believe we've already had an American pope. Unrecognized by the Vatican and distant from mainstream Roman Catholicism, a handful of would-be pontiffs have made claims to the throne of St. Peter, enjoying support from internet users, eliciting the curiosity of many who came across them, and attracting followings—dedicated if not large. Few of these figures ever set foot in a seminary, let alone rose through the clerical ranks; you won't find them in cathedrals or basilicas. Their holy haunts are garages, rental halls, and the occasional roadside chapel. And while they can be found at the very edge of the religious fringe, these figures personify the continuing challenges to papal authority presented by and within our postmodern age. The main thing that unites this diverse bunch of papal claimants is their shared rejection of Vatican II. Convened between 1962 and 1965, the Second Vatican Council was a landmark effort by the Roman Catholic Church to engage more directly with the modern world. Initiated by Pope John XXIII, the council introduced sweeping reforms: It permitted the Mass to be celebrated in vernacular languages rather than Latin, emphasized ecumenical dialogue with Orthodox and Protestant communities, redefined the Church's relationship with non-Christian religions (especially Judaism), and shifted the Church's tone from one of hierarchical authority to one of pastoral outreach. For many, these changes felt like an enlivening wind, in keeping with Pope John's (possibly apocryphal) call to 'open the windows of the Church' and let some fresh air into it. Chief among the council's champions was Pope John Paul II, who had attended Vatican II as a young bishop and later embodied its spirit through global outreach, interfaith dialogue, and a renewed emphasis on human dignity. He also helped modernize the papacy itself, embracing television, global travel, and media interviews to bring the Church's message to a wider, contemporary audience. Keep up with all The Bulwark's articles, newsletters, podcasts, and livestreams—and pick which ones show up in your inbox: But while some Catholics found Vatican II exhilarating, for others, it was deeply disorienting. Many Catholics felt alienated by the rapid changes, whether because they preferred the Latin Mass or were uncomfortable with various other reforms. This sense of upheaval gave rise to movements like the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, which flatly rejected key aspects of Vatican II and has maintained an uneasy relationship with Rome ever since while undergoing continuous institutional and communal growth. Even among conservative Catholics who don't go as far as SSPX, Vatican II remains a point of deep concern and contention, and it remains an abiding preoccupation among hyperonline Catholic commentators. The resurgence of young Catholic women wearing veils, the renewed popularity of the Latin Mass, and the proliferation of apologists defending every conceivable Church teaching all point to a growing skepticism toward, or at least a re-evaluation of, Vatican II's more open ethos. There are also those so radical as to not only reject the council but also to deny the legitimacy of the popes who have upheld it. These are the sedevacantists—those who believe 'the seat'—sedes, referring to the papal throne—is 'vacant,' which is to say, the one who currently occupies it is illegitimate. Sedevacantists hold that this has been the case since the 1958 death of Pope Pius XII on the grounds that all officially recognized popes since Vatican II have embraced its alleged heresies. In the words of Philippe Roy-Lysencourt, a scholar of Catholic traditionalism, 'For these movements, the council is like a foreign body in the life of the Church, like a cancer to be fought.' While its community of adherents is small and fragmented, sedevacantism represents the furthest extreme of traditionalist dissent—after all, who else would answer 'no' to the question, 'Is the Pope Catholic?' And way out at the furthest reaches of the sedevacantist world, we find a handful of those who, unwilling to wait for a legitimate pope to emerge, have taken matters into their own hands. These are the people who have conducted their own conclaves in living rooms and hotel conference rooms, and who claim to have found St. Peter's true successor living in their own hometowns. Share THE STORY OF OUR COUNTRY'S original homegrown papal claimant must be regarded as a prelude, because his actions took place decades before the Second Vatican Council that would unite the later generation of faux popes in opposition to it. Adam Anthony Oraczewski, a Polish-born immigrant, declared himself 'Pope Adam II' in 1927 following several years of religious mischief, fraud, and forgery, much of his behavior likely resulting from undiagnosed mental illness. At one point, he circulated a photo to newspapers that depicted him in an approximation of papal garb; a reporter at one of the papers pointed out that the young would-be pontiff had left his tennis shoes on for the picture. It would be half a century before the first of the Vatican II–rejecting American-born papal claimants would emerge. Chester Olszewski was originally an Episcopal priest in Pennsylvania. After encountering Anne Poore, a visionary claiming miraculous experiences and stigmata, Olszewski embraced a radical traditionalist Catholicism. He would eventually claim to receive his own mystical visions, and in 1977, he proclaimed himself Pope 'Chriszekiel Elias,' later adopting the name 'Peter II.' He led a small sect calling itself the True Catholic Church, rooted in apocalyptic Marian devotion; it has since faded into obscurity. A little over two decades later, in 1998, Lucian Pulvermacher, a former Capuchin friar from Wisconsin, was elected pope by a roughly fifty-member conclave of sedevacantist lay people associated with the True Catholic Church network. Taking the name 'Pius XIII,' he operated his ministry and issued papal decrees from a trailer in Kalispell, Montana, and later from Springdale, Washington. He died on November 30, 2009, at the age of 91. His followers' plans to convene a new conclave to choose a successor have so far come to naught. Another: Citing inspiration via mystical revelation, Reinaldus M. Benjamins of Malone, New York, claimed to be 'Pope Gregory XIX.' But as 'alternative popes' researcher Magnus Lundberg writes, little is known of Benjamins today. But the best-known American claimant to the papacy is the late David Bawden, known to many by his chosen papal name of 'Pope Michael I.' Born in Oklahoma in 1959 and raised in a fiercely traditionalist Catholic household, David Bawden came of age believing that the Second Vatican Council was not a reform but a rupture, one that cut the institutional Church off from its own timeless teachings and liturgical beauty. His family refused to attend the post-conciliar Mass, clung to pre-1958 catechisms, and eventually aligned with the dissenting SSPX. Bawden enrolled in an SSPX seminary but was dismissed after a brief tenure, prompting him to pursue his theological education on his own—through books, correspondence with traditionalist and sedevacantist Catholics, and fervent prayer. By the mid-1980s, he had moved on from the SSPX to embrace outright sedevacantism. Join now Convinced that the Catholic Church was in a state of emergency, Bawden took a radical step. In 1990, at the age of 30, he gathered five others (including his parents) into a makeshift conclave in a Kansas thrift store chapel. They elected him pope by unanimous vote. He took the name 'Michael I' and claimed divine sanction to restore what Rome had lost. From a farmhouse-turned-chapel in Delia, Kansas, he spent the next three decades issuing papal decrees, publishing newsletters, and maintaining a website called 'Vatican in Exile.' Toward the end of his life, he had a channel on YouTube, a platform on which his sermons, theological discussions, interviews, and explanations of his papal claim have been watched by thousands. While many dismissed him as a crank, a curiosity, a theological prank, or a person disturbed in the manner of his predecessor Oraczewski, Bawden's sincerity was difficult to deny. As documented in the 2010 film Pope Michael, he lived with monastic simplicity, took no salary, and led a quiet life of devotion alongside his elderly mother, Tickie. He prayed daily for the Church, answered emails from curious seekers, and carried out his self-imposed papal duties with unwavering conviction. In 2011, after more than two decades without the ability to celebrate the sacraments (despite claiming to be pope), Bawden was ordained a priest and consecrated a bishop by Robert Biarnesen, an independent bishop from a schismatic Old Catholic lineage (he himself had only just been consecrated a month prior by Bishop Alexander Swift Eagle Justice). Because Bawden had never been ordained by a bishop, valid or otherwise, prior to this, he had taken himself to be unable to perform even the most basic sacramental duties of the priesthood, let alone exercise the full authority of his alternative papacy. Beginning in 2011, though, Bawden at last felt authorized to celebrate Mass, hear confessions, and ordain others, a possibility that he seized with his first (and possibly only) seminarian, Phil Friedl. His movement remained minuscule, with perhaps a few dozen core followers, but the internet gave Pope Michael surprising reach, drawing adherents from as far away as India and the Philippines. One of those, a Filipino bishop named Rogelio Martínez, became his right-hand man and, after Bawden's death in 2022, Martínez was elected by his predecessor's remaining followers to become 'Pope Michael II.' He still posts to the movement's YouTube channel, but viewership remains scarce. Share LEO XIV'S PAPACY HAS NOW BEGUN. The Chicagoan begins his tenure at a time when papal authority is contested. Pope Francis, pastoral reformer that he was, was a figure of great controversy among both liberals and conservatives in the Church, and especially among hyperonline traditionalists, for whom he represented a corruption of the office. For years, such figures accused him of sowing confusion, undermining tradition, and embracing a modernist agenda. Some of his critics began to flirt openly with sedevacantist ideas, creating a cultural commotion in the Church. So it is that in our digital present, when YouTube apologists, livestreamed liturgies, and anonymous Twitter accounts shape the Catholic imagination, the claims of figures like Bawden no longer feel quite so radical or strange. This is part of what Leo XIV has inherited from Francis: a Church that is struggling, along with every other societal institution, to find its way in an increasingly chaotic information environment—a virtual world in which, it seems, everyone gets to be their very own pope. Zap this article over to a friend or zip it up onto social media: Share
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Salesian Missions welcomes Pope Leo XIV, first American-born Pope
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins the Salesian Congregation and Catholics around the globe to welcome the election of Pope Leo XIV — His Eminence, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost — as the 267th successor of St. Peter, to lead the Catholic Church and 1.4 billion faithful around the world. "The election of Pope Leo XIV will bring a great sense of pride to our donors as well as a deeper sense of connection to him and the Church," said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. Pope Leo XIV — elected the first ever American Catholic Pope — is lauded as a unifier and is expected to foster a more global church. "More than ever, we need a strong moral voice to encourage open dialogue and inspire the global community and Christians worldwide to work for peace and justice," said Fr. Conway. Pope Leo's extensive missionary work closely aligns with Salesian Missions in focusing on social issues like migration and poverty. "As an Augustinian missionary for many years, Pope Leo XIV encountered people from diverse backgrounds and oftentimes in situations of extreme poverty," said Fr. Conway. "His missionary ministry made him much more aware of the plight of the poor and migrants. His choosing of the name Leo reflects the prior ministry of Pope Leo XIII who was instrumental in establishing the foundation of the Church's social teaching with a special emphasis on the poor and marginalized." On behalf of the Salesian Congregation and the entire Salesian Family, the Rector Major Father Fabio Attard offered heartfelt greetings to the Holy Father at the start of his pontificate. In his message, the Rector Major assured the new Pope of the Salesian devotion and prayers, invoking the Holy Spirit to guide him with wisdom and strength so that his ministry may be a beacon of hope, unity, and peace for the Church and the world. Fr. Conway said that he is excited and proud as both an American and as a member of a religious order about the election of Pope Leo XIV. "He brings a diverse background of experiences that will greatly assist him in his ministry especially as a pastor. His selection reminds us that the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church is still active and effective and that, when all is said and done, God is in charge. I take comfort in believing this," he said. Salesian programs are operated by more than 30,000 Salesian missionaries in more than 130 countries around the globe. Salesian programs provide poor youth and their families access to education, workforce development, humanitarian relief, youth clubs, health services, feeding programs and more. About Salesian Missions USASalesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, N.Y., and is part of the Don Bosco Network — a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in poor communities around the globe. The Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters, as well as laypeople — all dedicated to caring for poor children throughout the world in more than 130 countries and helping young people become self-sufficient by learning a trade that will help them gain employment. To date, more than 3 million youth have received services funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion. For more information, go to Contact:Laura Perillomedia@ Twitter: @MissionNewswireNewswire: room: View original content: SOURCE Salesian Missions Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Irish Independent
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Brendan O'Connor: When it comes to Catholicism and camogie, now everyone's an expert
Today at 21:30 You feel it will come as a shock to some people when the euphoria wears off and they realise the Pope is not only a Catholic, but also, in fact, a priest. Initially, the main gist people got was that he was an American. An American Catholic, yes. But they're not really proper Catholics, are they, Ted? Old World Catholics have never really taken Johnny-Come-Lately American Catholics seriously. There's a feeling they don't really get it. They don't fully understand that it's about misery and suffering and shame and giving stuff up for Lent. They' re a bit too upbeat for European tastes. And don't even get us started on American priests. 'A bit too worldly,' would be the traditional attitude here towards them. A bit too normal to be real priests. Our own priests used to even get infected with it when they went there. They'd come back on 'holidays', as if they were ordinary people. And they seemed to enjoy going out to dinner a little bit too much, a bit too comfortable in the old restaurants, these lads, after a few years in America. Indeed, in general they often seemed to have too much of what you might call a social life. They seemed to have friends, some of whom might even be nuns, and some who weren't even in the clergy at all. We're also suspicious that Pope Leo looks too much like a normal person. But maybe that'll wear off as he leans in to being more papal. The problem could be that he's too young: 69! He'd barely have moved out of his parents' house if he lived in Ireland. Sixty-nine is young for a Pope but old for a broadcaster. There was obviously a brief flurry of speculation when Joe Duffy announced his retirement and we then suddenly found out we had a Pope. Joe the Confessor isn't technically a priest obviously, but maybe the conclave had decided on a radical move? Then more speculation began. Would the next presenter of Liveline continue in Joe's spirit of liberalism or would the more conservative wing of RTÉ try to get their candidate in? Joe had of course been anointed by Pope Gay, who was conservative enough by modern standards but who was seen as a liberalising force at the time. Between all that and skorts, it was a relief for people to be able to focus on news that was easy to have an opinion on and that had absolutely no consequences for them. Most of the people pontificating about the future of the Catholic Church hadn't gone near a church in years, and were basing their thoughts mainly on the movie Conclave. Similarly, not knowing your camogie from your Ogie Moran didn't stop everyone having a view on the skorts, though that seems, in fairness, like a no-brainer. And people who didn't listen to Liveline much were gutted over Joe, because they liked knowing he was there. Luckily, by the time it emerges that the Pope is indeed a Catholic, who seems pretty hardline on women priests, abortion and matters LGBTQ+, we'll all have moved on to be instant experts in whatever the next pressing issue of the day is.
10-05-2025
- Politics
Pope Leo XIV must carefully thread needle between Catholic Church's mission, US politics: Experts
In an instant, Cardinal Robert Prevost became the most powerful and influential American Catholic when he was selected to be pope and rechristened Pope Leo XIV on May 8. But with the United States' standing in the world on edge with President Donald Trump in office, experts say many will be watching the first American to lead the Catholic Church to see how he walks the tightrope between Western politics and his papal duties. Vatican experts told ABC News that Leo must thread that needle effortlessly, with a focus on leading from a global perspective. "I suspect he will be scrupulous and careful to avoid the thought that he is an American and not a Christian view," the Rev. Stephen Spahn, an assistant teaching professor of theology at Loyola University Maryland, told ABC News. "He is going to be a bridge builder and build relationships with world leaders broadly." At the same time, experts predicted Leo will not hesitate to speak out on American matters from his seat when needed. Spahn said cardinals have always come to their decisions knowing that the man who becomes pontiff will have to work within the geopolitical environment in pushing forward the Catholic Church's mission. "It's definitely going to trail him. How could it not?" he said of the pope's Americanism. "But the cardinals have said they chose him without any regard to his nationality." David Gibson, the director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University who has been in Rome all week, told ABC News that cardinals whom he spoke with do not see him as solely American, given his experience as a priest and missionary in South America. He noted Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis rarely traveled outside of their home countries when they were cardinals and that Leo's expertise on international relations will be beneficial during his tenure. "I think he does not want to be seen as an American pope," Gibson said. Both experts said Leo made a telling move when he delivered his first speech from the balcony in St. Peter's Basilica. The speech, which stressed the message of unity and building bridges, was in Italian and Spanish, and he did not publicly speak in English until his homily the next day. "He made no shoutout to his countryman. We will see more of that," Spahn said. However, experts said Leo will have to address the issues coming from his homeland at some point. Gibson said the cardinals he talked to noted that one of the decisions in Leo's selection was not Trump but the growing populist and nationalist movement sweeping the globe. "In that way, it is an irony that, frankly, the rest of the world was looking to an American as a sign of hope, as someone who can speak for them in an American register rather than act against them," he said. "They looked at him and said, 'OK, you know America, you know how to deal with this particular strong man.'" Trump, who was vocal against Francis' stance on immigration and the environment, offered congratulatory remarks to Leo after his election, saying the pope's election was a "great honor for our country." Leo has not immediately talked about the Trump administration since he was elected to the papacy. However, while he was a cardinal, he appears to have reposted articles that were critical of Vice President JD Vance and Trump's policies. Gibson said Leo will likely be more judicious with his communications, including social media posts, but will likely still have a voice in international affairs. "He will be like Francis, where he will message the Vatican's voice," he said. "[The Vatican is] certainly ready for it. They have been dealing with Trump for years. They don't get into back-and-forths. They will just make their position clear." Spahn agreed and likened Leo's relationship with American leaders to the one he has with his students. "As a professor, I want to build bridges with my students. I want to communicate that, but when they submit a paper, I'm taking out a red pen and I'm critiquing them," he said. At the same time, the Trump administration will likely maintain a friendly relationship with Leo during his "honeymoon" period as a matter of respect and to keep controversy down, Spahn argued. In one of his last actions, Francis wrote a letter to bishops that rebuked Vance's interpretation of the Latin phrase "ordo amoris." Vance contended in a Fox News interview that the idea meant that one must love his or her family first before the community and said he disagreed with Francis. Vance congratulated Leo's election on X, posting, "I'm sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church." "I thought that the vice president's congratulatory statement was generous and warm, and from his vantage point, there is no point in picking a fight," Spahn said. Gibson and Spahn both noted that Leo has been pushing that message of building bridges since his appointment and will offer guidance with no judgment. "One thing he made clear is he keeps repeating peace," Gibson said. "Every pope tries to do that and wants to do that. But if there is an opportunity to engage with the U.S. administration in peace, he will do that. The pope's door is always open."
Vox
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Vox
What Pope Leo XIV's history can tell us about his papacy
Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Prevost, is the first American pontiff. He was elected on Thursday, less than three weeks after the death of Pope Francis, and his elevation immediately made history. Leo grew up in Chicago, majored in math at Villanova University, and spent decades serving the Catholic Church in Peru. Significantly, Pope Leo is also the first pontiff to hail from the Augustinian order, which was founded in 1244. The Augustinians are a mendicant order, which means they rely largely on charitable donations for their needs. They prioritize community and missionary work, with a special emphasis on serving the poor and the weak. Those beliefs may have influenced Leo's decision, while he was still a cardinal, to share critiques of the Trump administration online, particularly on issues of immigration — which puts him at odds with another prominent American Catholic: Vice President JD Vance. In a January interview with Fox News, Vance used his faith as a justification for the Trump administration's America First agenda. 'You love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that, you can focus [on] and prioritize the rest of the world,' Vance said. Shortly after that interview, Leo shared a link to a National Catholic Reporter article titled 'JD Vance Is Wrong: Jesus Doesn't Ask Us to Rank Our Love for Others.' Today, Explained wanted to get to know this new pope and better understand why the conclave selected him. So we called up Terence Sweeney. He's an assistant teaching professor in the humanities department and honors program at Villanova University — not only the pope's alma mater (class of '77) but also the only Augustinian university in the United States. His conversation with Noel King, edited for length and clarity, is below. There's much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. How surprised were you [by Pope Leo's selection]? I was both surprised and not surprised. I've been talking about him with friends and students for the past couple of weeks. Yesterday morning, I popped into the office of Father Allen, an Augustinian on campus, and I said, 'Are we gonna have an Augustinian pope?' And he said he didn't think so. Sure enough, a few hours later, I got a text message from my friend who said, 'You called it.' But at the same time, I was very surprised. I was hopeful for him, but he's an American, and traditionally, that's seen as, 'Oh, it won't happen.' So I both kind of called it and was totally shocked. So tell us who he is. Who is Robert Prevost, or Pope Leo XIV? Prevost is a kid who grew up in Chicago and went to Villanova University. He had met Augustinians as a young man and joined the order just after college. Maybe most notably, [he] then proceeded to spend most of his life as a priest and then a bishop in the missions in Peru. He could have gotten assigned to a nice parish in a wealthier part of the United States, but instead, he went to Peru to be with the poor, to do work there, to do ministry there, and I think that's in many ways the heart of who he is. You can think about it like this: I have a pretty cushy spot at Villanova. I have a house. It's comfortable. To suddenly shift gears to a totally new culture, learning the language fully in a place that maybe doesn't have as many perks as an American suburban parish might, I think that's a real sign of wanting to be with those on the margins of global power and economics. I don't think we've had a pope in centuries who has had this experience of working in the missions. We've had pastor popes, scholar popes, diplomat popes. But a pope who spent most of his life in a poor part of a country doing missionary work — I don't even know if we've ever had one. When Pope Francis died, there was a big conversation about whether the church would pick somebody who was more traditional or who was viewed as more progressive, the way Pope Francis was. What kind of choice is Pope Leo XIV? Where does he fall on that spectrum? In some ways, like Pope Francis, he kind of throws us off of these spectrums. He took the name Leo, which is a pretty traditional papal name. He's the 14th, right? He's not the first. He's closely identifying with both the first Pope Leo, Pope Saint Leo the Great, and Pope Leo XIII, who are richly part of the tradition. Leo XIII is notable for his work on something called Catholic social thought: what the church brings to the questions of economics and justice and politics. And that has tended to be something that what we call progressive Catholics have really centered on. I think it was also notable that the language of his first address to the people in St. Peter's Square was richly tied in with Pope Francis: He talked about bridge-building and peace being with all of you. And I think there are some signs that he wants to carry on a lot of what Pope Francis did, but maybe make more connections, we might say, between the kind of Pope Francis side of the church and the Pope Benedict side. You've mentioned several times that he is an Augustinian. What is an Augustinian, exactly? The Augustinians are a group of friars. They were founded in 1244, and they're grounded in three principles: living in community, a really strong sense that wherever we go, we go together. [A] deep sense of the heart. If you ever see an icon of St. Augustine, he's often holding a heart. [That symbolizes] the sense that what we need to do is make connections with other people in their hearts. And a really strong call to the mission to go out. The original Augustinians often went into cities and various places to be with people where they were. After Robert Prevost was chosen yesterday, immediately it came to the surface that he had expressed some opinions on immigration. I saw people — and you had written about this in the past — drawing a line between the Augustinian tradition and the current controversies that the United States is facing over immigration. What is the Augustinian position on immigration? Fundamentally, one of the most important parts of being an Augustinian is sometimes called the order of loves. It's this idea that our hearts need to grow. Our hearts can get very narrow. We can fall in love only with ourselves. So we need to find a way to have our hearts expand to make room for God, who is infinite. When you make room for God, you make room for everyone, particularly for those in need. One of the big tasks of his pontificate for Americans — for all kinds of Catholics, all kinds of people — is helping us broaden our hearts. Notably, we have a vice president who's Catholic. JD Vance has spoken about the order of loves. You can think about what he said as having a lot of the right words, but getting the tune wrong. He described one of the very important ideas that the order of loves teaches us: that we rightly prioritize people who are closer to us. He's emphasizing that and saying: Americans rightly prioritize Americans. But he's missing the point of the order of loves, that [the heart] was supposed to expand, to go outward. Whereas Vance seems to be talking about it as a way of retracting and going inward. Pope Francis challenged him on this. Then Prevost retweeted an article in America magazine about challenging Vance on this. That's an early indication that he, as pope, is going to very much stand with a broadening of our loves. It is very 2025 for a new pope to be retweeting criticism of a vice president. What do you think it tells us about Pope Leo XIV? I think that he sees his office as a bishop, and now as bishop of Rome, as a prophetic one. He has a task of prophetic witness. That prophetic witness is going to speak about a lot of things. He is going to speak about the environment. He will definitely speak about immigration. He is going to speak about abortion. He is going to speak about a number of things that are going to throw American binaries off.
