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Axios
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
In photos: World leaders gather for Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass
Pope Leo XIV presided over his inaugural mass on Sunday before a crowd of some 200,000 people. The big picture: Leo — with world leaders, religious delegations and faithful alike watching — evoked some messages reminiscent of his predecessor Pope Francis and called for love and unity. In the crowd were Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The papacy of Leo, who has defended migrant rights, comes amid the backdrop of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which has been condemned by some religious leaders. Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff who spent much of his career in Peru, is seen as uniquely positioned to ease divisions between white and Latino Catholics in the U.S., Axios' Russell Contreras reports. The intrigue: After the mass, Leo — who has called for a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine — met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. As he closed his homily, he emphasized, "brothers and sisters, this is the hour for love," according to the New York Times. He also called for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and Myanmar.
Axios
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Pope Leo's tall task: Healing Catholic America's political divide
Pope Leo XIV — the first U.S.-born pontiff, who is of Spanish and Creole descent and served in Latin America — is uniquely positioned to help ease deep divisions between the country's white and Latino Catholics. Why it matters: The new pope has been an outspoken defender of migrant rights, and his family's immigration story touches an issue that has split many U.S. Catholics along cultural and political lines. Zoom in: Those familiar with the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost described him Thursday as an empathetic centrist with a measured approach that's tinted with humor. They imagined that he could help soften tensions within the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church, and beyond. Some even thought that the turmoil surrounding President Trump 's policies on immigration and other issues had made the surprise selection of an American pope more likely. "The upheaval of international order made clear by President Trump has made possible the impossible, meaning the papal election of an American citizen," Massimo Faggioli, a professor of historical theology at Villanova University — the new pope's alma mater — told CNN. Pope Leo's selection comes as the Trump administration is detaining and pushing to deport thousands of Latino immigrants, many of them Catholics. "There has been no more urgent issue for the American bishops than the deportation of tens of thousands of their Catholic, Latin American parishioners," Andrew Chesnut, the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan chairman in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, tells Axios. White and Latino Catholics represent one in five Americans and are one of the most influential blocs among the world's Catholic faithful. White Catholics overwhelmingly approve of Trump's immigration policies, but few Latino Catholics agree, according to a survey released last week by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). The survey found that white and Latino Catholics are also far apart on a range of other social issues, including LGBTQ rights and diversity initiatives. The divisions among American Catholics have been exacerbated by Trump's policies, presenting a significant challenge — and an opportunity — for the new pope, Chesnut said. Between the lines: Robert P. Jones, president and founder of PRRI, tells Axios that Leo's rise could fuel interest in the church among lapsed Catholics in the U.S., where membership has been fading amid a jump in "religious nones" — those with no religious affiliation. Reality check: Attitudes toward Trump and immigration are deeply ingrained in American culture, making it difficult for a pope — even one from Chicago — to become a major influence beyond the church. But the history-making aspect of Leo's selection will draw many Americans' attention, at least for a while. The backstory: Pope Leo, 69, was born to a French-Italian American father who served in World War II and a Spanish American mother with roots in New Orleans Creole. He arrived in Peru on an Augustinian mission in 1985, and later directed the Augustinian seminary in the northern city of Trujillo for 10 years. He later became a Peruvian citizen, and maintains dual citizenship. The future Pope Leo said last year that it's "very important" for bishops to reach out to those on the margins of society and those who feel excluded, according to Vatican News.
CBS News
21-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Los Angeles area leaders react to Pope Francis' death: "He was a good and gracious friend"
Catholics across the world and in Los Angeles are mourning the death of Pope Francis and praising his groundbreaking papacy. Pope Francis made history when he became the first Latin American pope, and many remember the day when he was elected. On March 13, 2013, millions of people who related to his heritage felt excited and hopeful that someone from their culture was elected to be the pope. Archbishop José H. Gomez and Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony, released statements sharing kind words about Pope Francis and what he did for the Catholic Church. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in downtown LA will celebrate a special mass for Pope Francis at 12:10 p.m. Acknowledging the traditions of Latino Catholics, he urged Mexicans last year to continue their devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Catholic saint and icon that's a powerful symbol of Mexican identity. Ministering with humanity, compassion and strong in his convictions, Pope Francis was the pride and joy of Latinos and there's no doubt the news of his death has sent shockwaves throughout the world. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis made history as the first pontiff from Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to take his papal name from Saint Francis of Assisi, a saint who dedicated his life to the poor. Pope Francis ministered with a humble style and had a humane approach; he was bold, yet gentle and he made sure the faithful and the world knew. Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony's statement read in part: "It was an enormous privilege and grace to have participated in the Conclave which elected him back in 2013. He was a good and gracious friend, and we exchanged letters often during this pontificate. Although he was in the hospital on February 17, he signed a letter of congratulations as I celebrated my Golden Jubilee as a Bishop." Archbishop José H. Gomez's statement read in part: "In this time of mourning, my prayer is that all of us in the Church will honor Pope Francis' legacy by remembering that he called us to urgent tasks that are still not finished: 'We must continue our work of serving the poor, the migrant, and all who are forgotten on society's "peripheries.'" LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn's statement read in part: "My heart is with Catholics across Los Angeles County waking up to the heartbreaking news of the passing of Pope Francis. For Catholics, Pope Francis was a spiritual leader, but he reached millions of hearts far beyond the Catholic Church with his words on the greatest challenges facing our world, from war to poverty to climate change to the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people." Gov. Gavin Newsom's statement read in part: "Jennifer and I join the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. He saw God in all His creatures, reminding us of humanity's obligations towards each other and the world we live in, asking us to 'care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation.'"
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, holds a special place for Hispanic Catholics
Elisabeth Román said she'll never forget where she was on March 13, 2013, the day that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected pope. 'I was in a restaurant in Puerto Rico, and it came on the TV that we might have a Latino pope,' said Román, who lives in Chicago and is the president of the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, which promotes the advancement and engagement of Latino Catholics. "It was so exciting, it felt electric — things felt so hopeful, that we would finally have a pope who comes from our culture.' Assessing his legacy, Román said that 'not only has this pope connected with Latinos, it often felt as if he did so directly; he has not seemed as impeded by bureaucracy as other popes — he speaks directly to us, he sees us, he had an impact on our people that is powerful.' The 266th Roman Catholic pontiff, known to the world as Pope Francis, died on Monday at the age of 88. The first pope from the Americas, he forged bonds of faith and connection with millions of Latino Catholics across the United States and Latin America. Román was one of several U.S. Catholics who recently spoke to NBC News after Pope Francis was hospitalized for serious health issues in late February. One in 5 U.S. adults describe themselves as Catholic and of these, over a third (36%) are Latino, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center report. Just as many Polish Americans felt a special affinity with John Paul II, so it was with Latinos and Pope Francis, said Hosffman Ospino, professor of Hispanic Ministry and Religious Education at Boston College. 'He has been able to name many of the realities, concerns, and hopes of Hispanic Catholics in the U.S.,' said Ospino, a native of Colombia. 'He addressed issues related to immigration, to social justice, assimilation and evangelization — he was very intentionally attentive to how Hispanics are integrated into the life of the church.' Olga Sarabia, a retired clinical social worker in Pasadena, California, said her parish had joined others around the globe since late February in special prayers for Francis. 'We were all concerned about our papa," she said, using the Spanish word for pope. 'I loved him because he displayed an openness to all people ... He elevated women, like he appointed a nun to a high office in the Vatican, which is unheard of," Sarabia said. "I remember, when he first came in, he went and washed the feet of the prisoners in jail. This showed his character. He was a pope of the people.' From his love of soccer — though he called himself a 'patadura,' or bad soccer player — to his native Spanish language, the Argentine pope endeared himself to many who identified with his cultural heritage, warmth and compassion. Acknowledging the traditions of Latino Catholics; he urged Mexicans last year to continue their devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Catholic saint and icon that's a powerful symbol of Mexican identity. In 2022, he celebrated a mass in Spanish at the Vatican, where he said that Our Lady of Guadalupe 'came to accompany the American people on this hard road of poverty, exploitation, socio-economic and cultural colonialism' and that 'she is our mother of mixed race.' Pope Francis had two consistent messages, both of which resonated with many of his Hispanic followers, Ospino said. 'One was his concern for those living in poverty; the poor have been at the center of his pontificate. He invited Catholics to be part of a church that was in service of the poor.' 'His second message, right from Day 1, was the plight of immigrants,' Ospino continued. 'Francis was keen to the realities and struggles of immigrants in Europe, the Caribbean, the U.S. and Latin America. He will be remembered as the pope who brought and centered our attention on those who were poor, and on the migrant populations of the world.' In 2019, on a trip to Central America, Pope Francis suggested that animosity toward migrants was driven by fear and 'makes us crazy.' In 2022, he sympathized with migrant caravans trekking to the U.S.'s southern border seeking what he called 'freedom and well-being.' In January 2025, he named a vocal ally of migrants to lead the Archdiocese of Washington. More than four-in-ten U.S. Catholics are immigrants or children of immigrants, according to Pew Research data. On migration, Pope Francis did not shy away from political controversies. He was a fierce critic of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, saying on a 2016 visit to Mexico that "a person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. In January he called Trump's plans for mass deportations 'a disgrace.' In a February letter to U.S. bishops, the pope criticized the criminalization of migrants and deportations, warning, 'What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly.' In the U.S., Pope Francis was able to connect because of his awareness of Latino communities, said Ellie Hidalgo, co-director of Discerning Deacons in Miami, a Catholic group that advocates for female deacons. 'Francis understood Latin American cultures, religious traditions and popular devotions. He understands the faith of the people and their resilience, as well as the violence, the poverty and suffering that can drive one's decision to leave their country.' Pope Francis has generally been viewed positively by U.S. Latino Catholics. Almost 8 in 10 viewed him mostly or very favorably, Pew found in its 2024 study, with a plurality describing him as representing major change in the direction of the Catholic Church. This popularity stands in contrast to the clear majorities of U.S. Latinos and Latin Americans who favor positions opposed by the Catholic Church, such as allowing Catholics to use birth control, allowing priests to marry and allowing women to become priests. Yunuen Trujillo, a lay minister and author in Los Angeles, said that Pope Francis made the Catholic Church more inclusive for LGBTQ+ people. In 2013, when asked about gay priests, Pope Francis famously said, 'If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" "We shouldn't marginalize people for this,' the pontiff said. "Just by acknowledging our existence," Trujillo said, "and speaking about us in a positive light many times, that is a big change in perspective." In his 12 years as pope, Francis made multiple visits to the Americas, including trips to Brazil (2013), Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay (2015), Cuba and the U.S. (2015), Cuba and Mexico (2016), Colombia (2017), Chile and Peru (2018) and Panama (2019). He addressed issues pertaining to these countries, such as urging Colombia's government and guerrillas to agree to a peace deal, and condemning drug cartels in Mexico and urging young people not to join them. Francis' populist style at times alarmed some conservatives and traditionalists. In 2015, returning from a visit to Cuba, he defended his remarks on climate change, capitalism and other issues, saying, 'I am certain that I didn't say one thing more than wasn't in the doctrine of the church.' Trujillo pointed out at the way the pope introduced himself to the world in 2013, coming to the papal balcony in black shoes rather than the traditional red Prada shoes. 'It showed that he wanted to be like regular people. Just seeing someone who speaks Spanish, in the leadership role, was important to Latinos who wanted to feel closer to the church.' And although change and reforms may be slow, she feels that Francis moved the Catholic Church in the right direction. 'This was a good pope.'This article was originally published on
