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Herald Malaysia
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Pope pledges prayers for Chinese Catholics
Pope Leo XIV called attention to two important events that fell on May 24: the day of prayer for Catholics in China and the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment. May 27, 2025 Pope Leo XIV also called people's attention to the anniversary of Pope Francis signing Laudato Si' By Catholic News Service Pope Leo XIV called attention to two important events that fell on May 24: the day of prayer for Catholics in China and the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment. He also made two appointments: naming Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle the titular bishop of Albano, Italy, and designating Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah to be his envoy to celebrations on July 25-26 at the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray in France. After praying the "Regina Coeli" with visitors in St. Peter's Square May 25, Pope Leo noted that the previous day was the feast of Mary Help of Christians, which Pope Benedict XVI had designated as the Day of Prayer for the Church in China. "In churches and shrines throughout China and around the world, prayers were offered to God as a sign of concern and affection for Chinese Catholics and their communion with the universal church," Pope Leo said. He prayed that through the intercession of Mary, all Catholics, but especially those in China, would receive "the grace to be strong and joyful witnesses of the Gospel, even in the midst of trials, so that we may always promote peace and harmony." Pope Leo also called people's attention to the anniversary of Pope Francis signing "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home." The encyclical, Pope Leo said, "has had an extraordinary impact, inspiring countless initiatives and teaching everyone to listen to the twofold cry of the Earth and of the poor." And, on the @Pontifex account on X, he posted: "Pope Francis' encyclical calls us to renew the dialogue on how we are building our planet's future, as we unite in the pursuit of sustainable and integral development, taking care to protect the common home entrusted to us by God." Naming Cardinal Tagle titular bishop of Albano, Pope Leo confirmed the tradition of the highest-ranking cardinals being technically associated with one of the seven suburbicarian dioceses on the outskirts of Rome. Initially, those seven bishops were among the closest advisers of the popes, and since 1059 they have been among the group of prelates who elect the popes. Pope Francis had named Cardinal Tagle a cardinal bishop in 2020 but without a suburbicarian diocese. Then-Cardinal Robert F. Prevost was named a cardinal bishop Feb. 6 by Pope Francis and given the titular diocese of Albano. Pope Leo also appointed Cardinal Sarah as his representative to celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the apparitions of St. Anne, mother of Mary, to Yves Nicolazic, a peasant farmer in Brittany in northwest France. Nicolazic said St. Anne asked him to build a shrine, which he did, and it attracts thousands of pilgrims each year. While popes often name special envoys to celebrations like that at Sainte-Anne-d'Auray, Pope Leo's naming of Cardinal Sarah, who often publicly criticized decisions made by Pope Francis, was seen as
Economist
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Economist
Are American Catholics ready for an American pope?
Pope Benedict XVI held a synod in 2012 to discuss evangelisation in an increasingly secular world. One of the most dynamic speakers was an American priest named Robert Prevost. The then-leader of the Augustinian order delivered a brief but profoundly countercultural speech, criticising 'Western mass media' for fostering sympathy with anti-Christian practices like 'abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia'. With time the future pope evolved. 'Doctrine hasn't changed,' he told Catholic News Service after Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2023. 'But we are looking to be more welcoming and more open.'
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
The queer flock of Pope Leo XIV
On May 8, over 1.3 billion Catholics around the world watched with rapt attention as the burgundy drapes on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City opened to reveal a new Supreme Pontiff. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now elected by a conclave of his brother cardinals as Pope Leo XIV, walked out smiling and waving to the crowds below, wearing the regalia eschewed by his immediate, unassuming predecessor, Pope Francis. The hopes of queer Catholics were shattered soon after, however, when it became apparent that some of his past views on our lives didn't quite merit the labels centrist and moderate, which the international media adopted to describe him. Two distinct assertions from the Holy Father, made at previous junctures in his long ministry, indicated conservative opinions on the place that gender and sexuality must hold in social life. In 2012, while Prior General of the Augustinian Order, then Father Prevost lamented to the World Synod of Bishops that the media was 'extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general public enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that [were] at odds with the Gospel.' Prevost listed the 'homosexual lifestyle' as a 'choice' that was particularly susceptible to such inordinate compassion. In a video produced by the Catholic News Service, interspersed with images from the TV shows Modern Family and The New Normal, which depict ordinary queer families, Prevost emphasised that 'alternative families comprised same-sex partners and their adopted children [were] so benignly and sympathetically portrayed in television programmes and cinema' within a larger spectrum of 'mass-media produced distortions of religious and ethical reality.' Also Read: Did Pope Leo XIV intentionally ignore an LGBTQ flag? Internet sleuths unearth 'truth' In 2017, after being appointed head of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, then Bishop Prevost objected to a government plan to upgrade the school curriculum to teach gender and sexuality. He advanced the case against 'the promotion of gender ideology', a shorthand for a range of reactionary fears in a world that increasingly did not view gender as binary. Such instruction, he argued, was confusing, 'because it [sought] to create genders that don't exist,' and leapt 'towards the ideology that [aimed] to eliminate all biological differences between male and female.' The severity of these pronouncements filled queer Catholics with a sense of dread. Apart from referring to us in language brimming with indignity, the new Pope appeared convinced that living the mundane routine of our daily lives openly constituted an ideological enterprise. This harked back to the spectre of the gay agenda, a pejorative, and damaging trope deployed by the American Christian right at one point, to view the queer community with alarm and suspicion. Also Read: Dalai Lama extends wishes to Pope Leo XIV Were Pope Leo XIV to continue this earlier approach into his papacy, it would reverse the remarkable progress made by the Catholic Church's public emphasis on empathy, inclusivity, and compassion under Pope Francis. The implications for queer Catholics in India could not be more striking. Dr Andy Silveira, a queer Catholic from Goa, maintains, 'For far too long, under the pretext of doctrine, inconsiderate words uttered by those on the pulpit have resulted in violence and even suicide. We desperately need to be open to the possibility of accepting two human beings, irrespective of their gender, choosing to love and commit themselves to each other.' On the line is Pope Francis' Fiducia Supplicans declaration, which, beginning in 2023 allowed priests to bless couples in 'irregular situations', including unmarried heterosexual and queer couples, as long as such blessings did not offer the impression of a marriage ceremony. Pope Leo XIV has taken a step back from his precursor: neither endorsing nor rejecting the declaration, holding that due to cultural differences, national bishops' conferences should have the authority to allow or disallow these blessings in their local contexts. Whether this approach may be viewed as withdrawing autonomy from ordained ministers, who may have performed such blessings without requiring further approval from the local hierarchy, remains to be seen. Also Read: Pope Leo XIV's first general audience date determined; Vatican releases complete schedule Given these explicit positions, the queer Catholics hope that Pope Leo XIV's ministry does not witness the absence of ecclesiastical embrace, of the kind they had grown to be used under Pope Francis' pontificate. Prior to the Conclave, the official College of Cardinals report noted, tactlessly, that Cardinal Prevost was 'somewhat less favourable to currying favour with the LGBTQ lobby than Francis was.' It also noted that he was being promoted as a potential compromise papabile, if leading conservative or progressive candidates were unable to garner enough votes. This report listed the blessing of queer couples as one of the 10 schismatic issues the Church confronted today, ranking second only to the ordination of women. While this grading suggests how central gender and sexuality are to Catholic identity in the 21st century, it also signifies that queer people still enjoy sufficient support within the hierarchy, just perhaps not enough to push an enlightened contender past the two-thirds majority required to become Pope. Propping up the reluctant optimism that many queer Catholics feel is the knowledge that Pope Francis' own receptiveness towards the queer community came largely after his election to the papacy. Back in 2013, in his first interaction with the media as Pope, he had said, 'If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?' Queer Catholics yearn for a similar orientation with the new Pope. 'I'm hopeful with Pope Leo XIV that there might deeper work done to embrace LGBT Catholics within the church,' remarked Dr. Silveira. Rachael Alphonso, an ally of the community from Mumbai, said that in spite of her initial disappointment, she now holds 'a renewed hope' for the Pope to see that queer people 'are equally beloved children of the Creator, and are inherently deserving of justice and full equality within our Church.' Also Read: Pope Leo XIV: Revisiting Cardinal Robert Prevost's two trips to Kochi Perhaps the pleas of queer Catholics will be heard, after all. After Pope Leo XIV's election, Catholic News Service made public a previously unreleased 2023 video interview with then Cardinal Prevost, in which he appears to have recalibrated his views on the 'homosexual lifestyle', under Pope Francis' influence. 'Given many things that have changed, I would say there's been a development in the sense of the need for the Church to open and to be welcoming,' Prevost said, 'and on that level, I think Pope Francis made it very clear that he doesn't want people to be excluded simply on the basis of choices that they make, whether it be lifestyle, work, way to dress, or whatever. Doctrine hasn't changed, and people haven't said, yet, you know, we're looking for that kind of change, but we are looking to be more welcoming and more open, and to say all people are welcome in the church.' While it doesn't refer to queerness directly, this statement has gone some way in quelling the anxiety many queer Catholics had initially experienced. Upon taking office, Pope Leo XIV has also emphatically insisted on promoting a 'Synodal Church', i.e. a church whose structures are more inclusive and participatory. This appeal leaves the door open for us, queer Catholics to participate courageously within its structures, and make the case, parish by parish, diocese by diocese, for our lives to acknowledged and recognised by the wider Catholic community. Only through such grassroots efforts during this pontificate can we hope to keep our dreams of a just and all-encompassing Catholicism alive. Mario da Penha is a doctoral candidate in History at Rutgers University, and leads work on LGBTQIA+ issues within the Professionals' Congress. While raised Catholic, and grounded in the Church, he is a freewheeling person of faith without a fixed creed. The views expressed are personal. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Business Insider
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Management tips from Pope Leo XIV — and what his leadership style means for the Catholic church
American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was introduced to the world on Thursday from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica as Pope Leo XIV, becoming the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church — and the first ever pope from America. Before becoming pope, Prevost was chosen in 2023 by Pope Francis to be in charge of selecting bishops. In August 2024, he said during a talk at St. Jude Parish in Chicago that Francis chose him for "a different perspective." With 133 voting cardinals, the 69-year-old polyglot and naturalized Peruvian citizen was elected by the Conclave to succeed Pope Francis, who died in April. Two cardinals who spoke to the Washington Post noted that he was seen as a skilled manager. From looking through past interviews, it's evident that Pope Leo XIV's management style could reshape the Catholic church — and provide us with tips on leadership. 'Listen to his neighbors' Pope Leo XIV has placed emphasis on the idea of synodality promoted by Pope Francis — a concept that emphasizes the importance of everyone working together in communion to make decisions about the life and mission of the Church. In an interview with Vatican Media in 2023, Leo XIV said that a bishop should possess the "ability to listen to his neighbor and seek advice," in addition to having a "much broader vision of the Church and reality and experience the universality of the Church." "A fundamental element of the portrait of a bishop is being a pastor, capable of being close to the members of the community, starting with the priests for whom the bishop is father and brother," said Leo XIV. "To live this closeness to all, without excluding anyone." Promoting inclusivity Leo XIV praised Pope Francis' 2022 decision to name three women as full members of the dicastery — a department or office of the central administrative office of the Catholic Church, also known as official congregations— which gives them a voice on the selection of bishops. In a March 2024 interview with Catholic News Service, Leo XIV said that the inclusion of women"contributes significantly to the process of discernment in looking for who we hope are the best candidates to serve the church in episcopal ministry." Under Pope Francis, women of faith have joined priests as voting representatives for religious orders for the very first time, and when appointing 70 non-bishop members of the synod in 2023, Francis had also asked that half of them be women. Leading by example for being "a pastor who preaches by gesture" in his "effective and important" pushback against attitudes of clericalism among bishops. Clericalism is the belief that church leaders are morally better and more talented than regular people, and that their authority should be the main focus. "It's important to find men who are truly interested in serving, in preaching the Gospel," said Leo XIV in the 2024 interview with Catholic News Service, "Not just with eloquent words, but rather with the example and witness they give." "And we must not hide behind an idea of authority that no longer makes sense today. The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers," Leo XIV added in a 2023 interview with Vatican News. Non-partisanship While Leo XIV has been critical of policies, he has cautioned against partisanship and anchors most of his criticism in Catholic social teaching — the church's guide on how to approach social, economic, and ecological issues. In mid-April, the then-cardinal shared a post in what appears to be his X account criticizing Trump and El Salvador's president for mocking the deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The post linked to a Catholic Standard article in which Bishop Evelio Menjivar asked Catholics, "Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?" In February, he also shared articles on X that are critical of Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, including one from the National Catholic Reporter. He echoed the headline in his post: "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others." The article challenged Vance's assertion in a Fox News interview that it is a "Christian concept" to prioritize loving those closest to them over people from other nations, in reference to the treatment of immigrants. In 2017, the day after the Las Vegas music festival mass shooting on October 1, when Leo XIV was the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, the account also shared a post from a Democratic senator, criticizing Republicans for not speaking up about gun violence, and that their "cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed by thoughts and prayers." Voting records show that he voted in three Republican primaries in the state of Illinois in Will County between 2012 and 2016. Illinois voters do not register by party, so voting in Republican primaries doesn't necessarily indicate a person's party affiliation. Leo XIV has never endorsed a party or a candidate and urged unity over partisanship. "We must be able to listen to one another," said Leo XIV in a 2023 interview with Vatican Media, "To recognize that it is not a question of discussing a political agenda or simply trying to promote the issues that interest me or others."
Chicago Tribune
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
A 2012 video shows comments from Pope Leo XIV that disappoint LGBTQ activists
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV, in remarks in 2012 when he was the Augustinian prior general in Chicago, made comments critical of what he called the 'homosexual lifestyle' and the role of mass media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships that conflicted with Catholic doctrine. Reports about the 2012 comments emerged after Thursday's election of U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost to succeed Pope Francis; he took the name Leo XIV. The remarks were 'disappointing,' said Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry, a U.S.-based group that advocates for greater inclusion of LGBTQ+ Catholics in the church. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich shares pride after South Sider Robert Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV'We pray that in the 13 years that have passed, 12 of which were under the papacy of Pope Francis, that his (Leo's) heart and mind have developed more progressively on LGBTQ+ issues, and we will take a wait-and-see attitude to see if that has happened,' DeBernardo said in a statement. A 2012 video provided to Catholic News Service, the news agency of the U.S. bishops conference, featured Prevost's address to the world Synod of Bishops against the backdrop of images from popular TV series and movies. 'Western mass media is extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general public enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel, for example abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia,' Prevost said. He singled out 'how alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children are so benignly and sympathetically portrayed in television programs and cinema today.' When he became a cardinal in 2023, Catholic News Service asked him if his views had changed. He acknowledged Pope Francis' call for a more inclusive church, saying Francis 'made it very clear that he doesn't want people to be excluded simply on the basis of choices that they make, whether it be lifestyle, work, way to dress, or whatever.' But he underlined that doctrine had not changed, in line with Francis. 'And people haven't said yet (that) we're looking for that kind of change,' Prevost said. 'But we are looking to be more welcoming and more open and to say all people are welcome in the church.' In his first remarks as pope on Thursday night, Leo spoke about building bridges and God's love for all. The Rev. James Martin, an American Jesuit who founded an LGBTQ+ outreach ministry, said such an invitation to inclusiveness and welcome was important and he considered the cardinals' choice of Prevost 'brilliant.' 'He is humble, reserved, straightforward, trustworthy. I think he brings a wealth of experience not only (from) his long time in Peru working with the poor, but also in the Vatican,' Martin said. 'It's rare to come in contact with someone who is actually humble and not pretending to be humble. And he's the real deal. And that really cemented my respect for him. He always treated me with great respect, dignity, friendship. He's a man of few words, and I'll say that when he talked, people listened.' Francis, more than any of his predecessors, incrementally conveyed through his actions, formal statements and occasional casual remarks that he wanted the church to be a more welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people. Yet his papacy ended with the same core doctrine for LGBTQ+ people that he inherited: The Catholic Church still rejected same-sex marriage and condemned any sexual relations between gay or lesbian partners as 'intrinsically disordered.' The U.S.-based LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD called on the new pontiff to 'build on the progress' made by his predecessor. 'The Roman Catholic Church stands on the threshold of a hopeful and inclusive new chapter. With Pope Leo XIV's leadership, there is an extraordinary opportunity to inspire billions around the world and further embrace LGBTQ people with compassion, dignity, and love,' GLADD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.
