Latest news with #Prevost
Euronews
26-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
France's Macron secures major Airbus deal during Vietnam visit
Emmanuel Macron signed a deal with Vietnam on Monday for 20 Airbus planes, among other agreements, in the first visit by a French president to Hanoi in nearly a decade. The Airbus deal with VietJet for 20 A330neo aircraft, worth an estimated €7 billion, follows a previous agreement for 20 European-made aeroplanes. The French leader struck other deals — said to be more than 30 — in a bid to expand a trade relationship worth €5.3 billion, including cooperation on energy, Earth-observation satellites, vaccines and railways. 'It is truly a new page being written between our two countries … a desire to write an even more ambitious page of the relationship between Vietnam and France, between ASEAN and the European Union,' Macron said. France's push towards stronger links with its former colony marks an attempt to offer a "third way" outside of Washington and Beijing. Macron's trip comes amid threats of 50% US tariffs on EU goods. Vietnam, which has also been threatened with 47% tariffs by US President Donald Trump, is considering purchasing Boeing planes to reduce its trade surplus with the US. Macron's three-leg Southeast Asia tour will continue with visits to Indonesia and Singapore. Weeks after now-former Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the first US-born pope, speculation about his political leanings and affiliations continues to spread online. Some commentators are purporting that voting records show Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is formally affiliated to the US Republican Party. Pro-Trump influencer Charlie Kirk first planted the theory an hour after white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel on 8 May, indicating Pope Leo XIV's election by the papal conclave. In a post on X, Kirk said: "Our Turning Point Action team pulled the voting history for Pope Leo XIV. He's a registered Republican who has voted in Republican primaries when not living abroad. Our data shows he's a strong Republican, and he's pro-life." The post is accompanied by a screenshot claiming to be Prevost's voting card. Prevost's name, age and date of birth are correctly displayed. The word "Republican" also appears next to "party". But the state of Illinois does not register voters by political party affiliation, according to judicial advocacy group Alliance for Justice. It means this cannot be an authentic voting card as the state does not register voters as either Republican or Democrat. In other US states, voters do declare party affiliation when registering to vote, and this sometimes determines in which primary elections voters can cast their ballots. Primary elections, or primaries, are ballots that political parties in the US use to select candidates for a general election. Voters can chose in which party's primary they want to vote. Hoewever, state voting records shared with Euroverify by the office of the attorney general of Will County, Illinois, show that Prevost did vote in three Republican primary elections in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Voters in the state are, however, not bound to pick the same party's primary from year to year. Therefore this is not conclusive proof that Prevost is affiliated to the Republican party. Prevost's party affiliation is also registered as "undeclared" in general elections between 2012 and 2024. According to Reuters, citing a public information officer for the Illinois state elections board, Prevost had requested ballots for the 2008 and 2010 Democratic primaries when registered to vote in Cook County, Illinois. Euroverify was unable to independently fact check this information. Social media users have also been searching for signs of Prevost's political leanings in content shared by him online prior to his election as pope. Months before his election, he shared an article published by the National Catholic Reporter criticising comments made by JD Vance. The article, titled "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others", blasts a comment made by the US vice president during a Fox News interview, suggesting that Christians should prioritise love for their "fellow citizens" and "own country" over "the rest of the world." In April, he also shared a post critical of US President Donald Trump's immigration policies, specifically the controversial decision to deport Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, which has been described by Supreme Court judges as "an error."
Euronews
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Fact-checking claims Pope Leo XIV is a registered US Republican
Weeks after Robert Prevost was elected the first US-born pope, speculation about his political leanings and affiliations continues to spread online. Some commentators are purporting that voting records show Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is formally affiliated to the US Republican Party. Pro-Trump influencer Charlie Kirk first planted the theory an hour after white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel on May 8, indicating Pope Leo's election by the papal conclave. In a post on X, Kirk said: "Our Turning Point Action team pulled the voting history for Pope Leo XIV. He's a registered Republican who has voted in Republican primaries when not living abroad. Our data shows he's a strong Republican, and he's pro-life." The post is accompanied by a screenshot claiming to be Robert Prevost's voting card. Prevost's name, age and date of birth are correctly displayed. The word "Republican" also appears next to "party." But the state of Illinois does not register voters by political party affiliation, according to judicial advocacy group Alliance for Justice. It means this cannot be an authentic voting card as the state does not register voters as either Republican or Democrat. In other US states, voters do declare party affiliation when registering to vote, and this sometimes determines in which primary elections voters can cast their ballots. Primary elections, or primaries, are ballots that political parties in the US use to select candidates for a general election. Voters can chose in which party's primary they want to vote. Hoewever, state voting records shared with Euroverify by the office of the attorney general of Will County, Illinois, show that Prevost did vote in three Republican primary elections in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Voters in the state are, however, not bound to pick the same party's primary from year to year. This is therefore not conclusive proof that Prevost is affiliated to the Republican party. Prevost's party affiliation is also registered as "undeclared" in general elections between 2012 and 2024. According to Reuters, citing a public information officer for the Illinois state elections board, Prevost had requested ballots for the 2008 and 2010 Democratic primaries when registered to vote in Cook County, Illinois. Euroverify was unable to independently fact check this information. Social media users have also been searching for signs of Prevost's political leanings in content in content shared by him online prior to his election as pope. Months before his election, he shared an article published by the National Catholic Reporter criticising comments made by JD Vance. The article, titled "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others", blasts a comment made by Vance during a Fox News interview, suggesting that Christians should prioritise love for their "fellow citizens" and "own country" over "the rest of the world." In April, he also shared a post critical of Donald Trump's immigration policies, specifically the controversial decision to deport Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, which has been described as Supreme Court judges as "an error." In an emotional tribute on Sunday afternoon, tennis legend Rafael Nadal was honoured during a ceremony at the Roland Garros tournament in Paris. The record 14-time French Open winner, who officially retired in November, returned to the court not as a competitor but as a celebrated legend. Greeted by thousands of fans wearing orange 'Merci Rafa' shirts, Nadal received a standing ovation as he stepped onto the clay one final time. No longer in his signature headband or capri pants, the Spaniard arrived in a dark suit, visibly moved by the outpouring of affection. As the crowd cheered, Nadal fought back tears, delivering a speech in French, English, and his native Spanish, as he reflected on two decades of triumphs, setbacks, and unforgettable memories at Roland Garros. "I don't know where to start after playing on this court for the past 20 years. Winning, losing — but especially being moved every time I've had the chance to be here.' Nadal retired with a staggering 112-4 record at the French Open and a flawless 14-0 record in finals, an achievement unmatched in the sport's history. His impact on the sport was acknowledged not only by the crowd but also by fellow greats Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, who joined him on court in a powerful moment of solidarity. Once fierce rivals, the quartet known as the Big Four stood together in celebration, not competition. 'We showed the world that we can fight as hard as possible, but being good colleagues and respecting each other very well. And for me, it means a lot that you are all here,' Nadal said to his greatest rivals. In keeping with his family values, Nadal thanked his longtime coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, along with his wife and young son. His appreciation extended to fans and the French public, whom he credited with making him feel at home throughout his career. 'Thank you, France. Thank you, Paris. You have given me emotions and moments I could never have imagined. You can never know how gratifying it is to be appreciated in the place that matters most. ... You made me feel like a Frenchman,' Nadal said. 'I can no longer play in front of you anymore, but my heart and my memories will always be linked to this magical place.' The tribute culminated in two lasting symbols of his legacy: a commemorative trophy and a newly installed plaque on the Philippe-Chatrier central court, engraved with his 14 titles and his shoe footprint -- a literal symbol of the mark he left on the sport and on the clay of Roland Garros.
Boston Globe
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
As Pope Leo XIV faces scrutiny, victims of abusive Catholic group say he helped when others didn't
'What can I say about him? That he listened to me,' said José Rey de Castro, a teacher who spent 18 years in the Sodalitium as the personal cook for its leader, Luis Fernando Figari. 'It seems obvious for a priest. But that's not the case, because the Sodalitium was very powerful.' Figari founded the Sodalitium in Peru in 1971 as a lay community to recruit 'soldiers for God.' It was one of several Catholic societies born as a conservative reaction to the left-leaning liberation theology movement that swept through Latin America starting in the 1960s. At its height, the group counted about 1,000 core members and several times that in three other branches across South America and the United States. It was enormously influential in Peru and has its U.S. base in Denver. Advertisement Starting in 2000, stories about Figari's twisted practices began to filter out in Peru when a former member wrote a series of articles in the magazine Gente. A formal accusation was lodged with the Lima archdiocese in 2011 but neither the local church nor the Holy See took concrete action until former member Pedro Salinas and journalist Paola Ugaz exposed the practices of Sodalitium in their 2015 book 'Half Monks, Half Soldiers.' Advertisement In 2017, a report commissioned by the group's new leadership determined that the charismatic Figari was 'narcissistic, paranoid, demeaning, vulgar, vindictive, manipulative, racist, sexist, elitist and obsessed with sexual issues and the sexual orientation of SCV members.' The report found that Figari sodomized his recruits and forced them to fondle him and one another, that he liked to watch them 'experience pain, discomfort and fear,' and humiliated them in front of others to enhance his control over them. Yet when members found the courage to escape and denounce the abuses they suffered, they say they often met a wall of silence and inaction from the Peruvian Catholic hierarchy and the Holy See. Both were slow to act against a movement that had been formally approved by St. John Paul II's Vatican, which had looked fondly on conservative, wealthy movements in Latin America, like the similarly-disgraced Mexican-based Legion of Christ. But not Prevost, whom Francis made bishop of Chiclayo, Peru in 2014 and later was elected vice president of the Peruvian bishops conference. He headed the bishops' commission created to listen to victims of abuse, and became a critical 'bridge' between victims and Sodalitium, the victims say. Rey de Castro, the former Figari cook who got out in 2014 and now teaches public policy to Peruvian police, turned to Prevost in 2021. He had been critical of a 2016 Sodalitium reparations program that, according to the group, provided some $6.5 million in academic, therapeutic and financial support to nearly 100 Sodalitium victims over the years. Advertisement He and Prevost met in the offices of the Peruvian bishops conference and stayed in touch via text message up until Prevost's election as pope. From the start, Rey de Castro said, 'Prevost was very clear in saying 'For me, Sodalitium doesn't have a charism,'' the church term for the fundamental inspiration and reason for a religious movement to exist. After their 2021 meeting, Prevost helped arrange a confidential settlement with Sodalitium, he said. 'For Prevost to get the Sodalitium to do something just was exceptional, which was more or less what happened,' he said in an interview in Lima. Salinas and Ugaz, for their part, say Prevost also stepped in when the Sodalitium started retaliating against them with legal action for their continued investigative reporting on the group. After the Sodalitium's archbishop of Piura, José Eguren, sued Salinas in 2018 for defamation, Prevost and the Vatican's ambassador to Peru helped craft a statement from the Peruvian bishops conference backing the journalists. 'It was the first time that anyone had done anything against the Sodalitium publicly,' Ugaz said. 'And not only did they make this declaration, but they communicated with Francis, told him what was happening and Francis got mad.' Ugaz and Salinas provided years of emails, text messages and anecdotes dating back to 2018 to demonstrate how committed Prevost was to the cause of the Sodalitium victims. While not all his initiatives succeeded, Prevost stepped in at critical junctions. Advertisement 'I assure you I share your concern and we are looking for the best way to get the letter directly to the pope,' Prevost wrote one victim Dec. 11, 2018, about getting a letter from Sodalitium victims to Francis. 'I will continue working so that there is justice for all those who suffered at the hands of Sodalitium,' Prevost wrote another victim on Dec. 23, 2018. 'I ask forgiveness for the errors of the church.' After the Sodalitium criticism accelerated against Ugaz and Salinas, Prevost helped arrange for Ugaz to meet with Francis at the Vatican on Nov. 10, 2022, during which she laid out her findings and convinced Francis to send his top sex crimes investigators to Peru. Their 2023 investigation uncovered physical abuses 'including with sadism and violence, ' sect-like abuses of conscience, spiritual abuse, abuses of authority including the hacking of Ugaz's communications and economic abuses in administering church money. The probe also identified a publicity campaign some Sodalitium members had mounted against critics. The investigation resulted in Francis taking a series of initiatives, starting with the April 2024 resignation of Eguren which Prevost handled. It continued with the expulsion of Figari, Eguren and nine others, and finally the formal dissolution of the Sodalitium in April this year, just before Francis died. The Sodalitium has accepted its dissolution, asked forgiveness for 'the mistreatment and abuse committed within our community' and for the pain caused the entire church. 'With sorrow and obedience, we accept this decision, specifically approved by Pope Francis, which brings our society to an end,' the group said in an April statement after the decree of dissolution was signed. Advertisement There was no reply to an email sent to the group with specific questions about Prevost's role. Leo's record of handling sex abuse cases while he was an Augustinian superior and bishop in Peru has come under renewed scrutiny since his election May 8. And overall, one of the biggest challenges facing history's first American pope will be how he addresses the clergy abuse scandal, which has traumatized thousands of people around the world and devastated the Catholic hierarchy's credibility. The idea Prevost might have enemies as a result of his tough line against the Sodalitium was crystalized in a recent podcast hosted by Salinas on Peru's La Mula streaming platform. Salinas dedicated most of the hourlong episode to reading aloud seven years of glowing correspondence between Sodalitium victims and Prevost. But he also said Prevost had become the target of a defamation campaign asserting he covered up for abusers. Salinas blamed the campaign on Sodalitium's supporters trying to discredit the new pope. One of the cases in question is Prevost's handling of abuse allegations made in 2022 by three sisters against one of his priests in Chiclayo. The diocese and Vatican say Prevost did everything he was supposed to do, including restricting the priest's ministry, sending a preliminary investigation to the Vatican's sex crimes office, offering psychological help to the victims and suggesting they go to Peruvian authorities, who archived the case because it happened too long ago. Nine days after Peruvian authorities closed the case, Prevost was named to head the Vatican's office for bishops and left the diocese. The Vatican archived the case for lack of evidence, but it was reopened in 2023 after it gained traction in the media. Victims' groups are demanding an accounting from Leo. Advertisement Salinas, Ugaz and even some in the Vatican believe Sodalitium supporters fueled publicity about the case and its reopening to discredit Prevost. They note that the victims' lawyer is a former Augustinian antagonist of Prevost who has since been defrocked and barred from presenting himself as a canon lawyer in Peru. 'So, when I read about Prevost's 'alleged cover-ups,' something doesn't add up,' Salinas told AP. Rocío Figueroa, another Sodalitium victim who now works as a researcher and theologian in New Zealand, concurred. 'It is very strange if someone is so strong and honest to do like that with victims of Sodalitium and not do it with other victims,' she said. Anne Barrett-Doyle, of the online abuse database said even if the Chiclayo case is being exploited by Sodalitium supporters, 'it doesn't mean that he handled the case correctly.' 'Both things could be true: that then-Bishop Prevost acted valiantly on behalf of the victims of the Sodalitium and that he didn't do nearly enough to investigate the allegations in Chiclayo,' she said. Signing off his podcast, Salinas read aloud a WhatsApp message he had exchanged with Prevost on Oct. 16, 2024, when he warned him to beware of retaliation from the group. 'I have it very much on my mind,' Prevost wrote back.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Pope Leo can help save American democracy
When Pope Francis died, an Augustinian associate texted Robert Francis Prevost, 'I think you'd make a great pope.' Prevost replied, 'I'm an American — I can't be elected.' That assumption was widely shared. Many believed America's global dominance disqualified its citizens. Even San Diego's Robert Cardinal McElroy said he would oppose an American pope for that very reason. The gambling platform Kalshi gave Prevost less than a 1 percent chance. Only 416 people bet on this long shot. Catholic theology teaches that the Holy Spirit has input. Prevost's surprise elevation as Pope Leo XIV gives credence to this belief. How do we divine this new, unknown Peter? Not by proclaiming him divine, but by asking: What is his inner self? Ancient Etruscan priests read entrails to divine the future; today's press scrutinizes whatever entrails can be found anywhere. In the original meaning of the word catholic, Leo has a remarkable record of quiet global engagement, from the grassroots to the elite, a wide-ranging worldview. Modern popes have traveled extensively after their elections, something truly catholic in the original meaning of the word. Leo's American identity-at a time when two American leaders embody opposing visions of democracy-places him at the intersection of a deepening global struggle over democracy, nationalism, and faith. Critics argue the Church is historically anti-democratic. Popes like Gregory XVI and Pius IX condemned democracy. The American Revolution hardly registered with the Vatican; after all, the colonies were British and predominantly Protestant. But the French Revolution was a different matter. Catholicism, long entrenched as the state religion, lost its privileges, properties and political power. This was revolting to the Vatican. For many, the Roman church's bias toward monarchy and against democracy has evolved with less hostility. In America, with the First Amendment, Catholicism encountered 'the free marketplace of religion.' Individuals could choose their faith freely. And a religion based on choice is more vibrant than a moribund state-sponsored religion, because the latter has no competition, according to no less than Adam Smith. Conservative Americans benignly criticized Pope Francis as ignorant of America. Leo, however, is an American who might best trump the president in a quick quiz on democracy. Leo knows American history and how it treated Catholics from the beginning — with the same kind of suspicion with which it treats Muslims today. They experienced hostility in institutional forms as the Know-Nothing Party and the KKK. Violence was always in the wings on personal and social levels. Leo is aware of the potency of the First Amendment's first freedom: 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free practice thereof.' In the free market of religions, democracy here allowed, nourished, and strengthened Catholicism and other beliefs. The First Amendment underscores freedom of conscience and choice. The world has yet to thank the underrecognized American champion of conscience, Roger Williams. An ordained clergyman, he was punished for his dissenting beliefs, resulting in his establishing the first secular state, Rhode Island, as a haven and refuge. From these roots flowered our First Amendment, enshrining the inviolable right to freedom of conscience, choice and speech. As a Catholic priest of 59 years, I was unfamiliar with Leo, since so much of his career was out of the country, even though he is a Southside Chicago native like myself. The few morsels I found were positive — simpatico to Francis but distinct, an American unknown to most American Catholics. Then came his inaugural address. One sentence electrified me: 'Evangelization is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda, or by means of power, but through love.' With that, Leo distanced himself from centuries of institutional coercion. He affirms a vision where love — not force, nor propaganda and politics — is the means. He must first persuade doubting Catholics and fellow Christians. Leo could become a pivotal voice as Christian nationalism rises in the U.S., pushing for the collapse of the church-state wall. The late Paul Weyrich, the Catholic deacon and most skilled strategist known widely in Washington as 'Pope Paul,' helped bridge conservative Catholicism with evangelical nationalism. His movement's long-term success is evident from the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the rise of the Catholic Right. In the 2016 election, 52 percent of American Catholics voted for President Trump. It was 58 percent in 2024. Leo's own brother is a fervent Trump supporter. In his choice of name, Leo XIV evokes Leo XIII, who in 1892 urged French Catholics to accept their democratic republic. Leo XIV's challenge to American Catholics — especially those politically aligned with Christian nationalism — is to defend the Constitution's First Amendment prohibition of state religion, a prohibition that allowed Catholics to thrive. Imagine a future Supreme Court case challenging church-state separation, with Christians vying against Christians for superiority. Picture citizen Robert Francis Prevost, making an appearance in a suit, to defend the very freedom that once made his own faith welcome in an unwelcoming culture. Before a Supreme Court of conservative Catholic justices, Leo might repeat what he said previously — that the Church is not about feeling superior to the world. As the leader of a monotheistic religion, Leo would affirm pluralism which he boldly enunciated at his inauguration, 'We are called to offer God's love to everyone … to achieve unity that does not cancel differences but values the personal history and culture of every people.' Centuries ago, Pope Gregory VII forced King Henry IV to kneel barefoot in the snow, symbolizing the Church's triumph over the state. Now imagine Pope Leo XIV, in a suit, standing before the U.S. Supreme Court — not to dominate, but to defend the freedom of all faiths equally. Leo XIV invoked Leo XIII for his teachings on labor and democracy. But the most famous Leo is Leo the Great (391-461), who stood up to the barbarians that sought to destroy what remained in his era of Roman society. This new Leo is poised to save America's democracy from American barbarians within, seeking to destroy centuries of democratic compromise toward a more perfect union. A second Leo the Great? In a world torn between the love of power and the power of love, Leo chooses the latter. Emmett Coyne is a retired Catholic priest in the Diocese of Manchester, N.H. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Pope Leo can help save American democracy
When Pope Francis died, an Augustinian associate texted Robert Francis Prevost, 'I think you'd make a great pope.' Prevost replied, 'I'm an American — I can't be elected.' That assumption was widely shared. Many believed America's global dominance disqualified its citizens. Even San Diego's Robert Cardinal McElroy said he would oppose an American pope for that very reason. The gambling platform Kalshi gave Prevost less than a 1 percent chance. Only 416 people bet on this long shot. Catholic theology teaches that the Holy Spirit has input. Prevost's surprise elevation as Pope Leo XIV gives credence to this belief. How do we divine this new, unknown Peter? Not by proclaiming him divine, but by asking: What is his inner self? Ancient Etruscan priests read entrails to divine the future; today's press scrutinizes whatever entrails can be found anywhere. In the original meaning of the word catholic, Leo has a remarkable record of quiet global engagement, from the grassroots to the elite, a wide-ranging worldview. Modern popes have traveled extensively after their elections, something truly catholic in the original meaning of the word. Leo's American identity-at a time when two American leaders embody opposing visions of democracy-places him at the intersection of a deepening global struggle over democracy, nationalism, and faith. Critics argue the Church is historically anti-democratic. Popes like Gregory XVI and Pius IX condemned democracy. The American Revolution hardly registered with the Vatican; after all, the colonies were British and predominantly Protestant. But the French Revolution was a different matter. Catholicism, long entrenched as the state religion, lost its privileges, properties and political power. This was revolting to the Vatican. For many, the Roman church's bias toward monarchy and against democracy has evolved with less hostility. In America, with the First Amendment, Catholicism encountered 'the free marketplace of religion.' Individuals could choose their faith freely. And a religion based on choice is more vibrant than a moribund state-sponsored religion, because the latter has no competition, according to no less than Adam Smith. Conservative Americans benignly criticized Pope Francis as ignorant of America. Leo, however, is an American who might best trump the president in a quick quiz on democracy. Leo knows American history and how it treated Catholics from the beginning — with the same kind of suspicion with which it treats Muslims today. They experienced hostility in institutional forms as the Know-Nothing Party and the KKK. Violence was always in the wings on personal and social levels. Leo is aware of the potency of the First Amendment's first freedom: 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free practice thereof.' In the free market of religions, democracy here allowed, nourished, and strengthened Catholicism and other beliefs. The First Amendment underscores freedom of conscience and choice. The world has yet to thank the underrecognized American champion of conscience, Roger Williams. An ordained clergyman, he was punished for his dissenting beliefs, resulting in his establishing the first secular state, Rhode Island, as a haven and refuge. From these roots flowered our First Amendment, enshrining the inviolable right to freedom of conscience, choice and speech. As a Catholic priest of 59 years, I was unfamiliar with Leo, since so much of his career was out of the country, even though he is a Southside Chicago native like myself. The few morsels I found were positive — simpatico to Francis but distinct, an American unknown to most American Catholics. Then came his inaugural address. One sentence electrified me: 'Evangelization is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda, or by means of power, but through love.' With that, Leo distanced himself from centuries of institutional coercion. He affirms a vision where love — not force, nor propaganda and politics — is the means. He must first persuade doubting Catholics and fellow Christians. Leo could become a pivotal voice as Christian nationalism rises in the U.S., pushing for the collapse of the church-state wall. The late Paul Weyrich, the Catholic deacon and most skilled strategist known widely in Washington as 'Pope Paul,' helped bridge conservative Catholicism with evangelical nationalism. His movement's long-term success is evident from the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the rise of the Catholic Right. In the 2016 election, 52 percent of American Catholics voted for President Trump. It was 58 percent in 2024. Leo's own brother is a fervent Trump supporter. In his choice of name, Leo XIV evokes Leo XIII, who in 1892 urged French Catholics to accept their democratic republic. Leo XIV's challenge to American Catholics — especially those politically aligned with Christian nationalism — is to defend the Constitution's First Amendment prohibition of state religion, a prohibition that allowed Catholics to thrive. Imagine a future Supreme Court case challenging church-state separation, with Christians vying against Christians for superiority. Picture citizen Robert Francis Prevost, making an appearance in a suit, to defend the very freedom that once made his own faith welcome in an unwelcoming culture. Before a Supreme Court of conservative Catholic justices, Leo might repeat what he said previously — that the Church is not about feeling superior to the world. As the leader of a monotheistic religion, Leo would affirm pluralism which he boldly enunciated at his inauguration, 'We are called to offer God's love to everyone … to achieve unity that does not cancel differences but values the personal history and culture of every people.' Centuries ago, Pope Gregory VII forced King Henry IV to kneel barefoot in the snow, symbolizing the Church's triumph over the state. Now imagine Pope Leo XIV, in a suit, standing before the U.S. Supreme Court — not to dominate, but to defend the freedom of all faiths equally. Leo XIV invoked Leo XIII for his teachings on labor and democracy. But the most famous Leo is Leo the Great (391-461), who stood up to the barbarians that sought to destroy what remained in his era of Roman society. This new Leo is poised to save America's democracy from American barbarians within, seeking to destroy centuries of democratic compromise toward a more perfect union. A second Leo the Great? In a world torn between the love of power and the power of love, Leo chooses the latter. Emmett Coyne is a retired Catholic priest in the Diocese of Manchester, N.H.
