Out of a puff of white smoke, an American Pope appeared, to the astonishment of the world, including the United States. It had always been believed that the Catholic Church would not further elevate, and be seen to confer, more influence on the most economically and militarily powerful country in the worldby electing an American Pope. Even the United States had long accepted that it was unlikely that an American would be elected Pope to further enhance its already per-eminent place in the world. The explanation of an American Pope was attempted by Stabroek News, quoting an Italian academic, Professor Massimo Faggioli. He suggested, unconvincingly, that Cardinal Prevost’s past criticism of Donald Trump and JD Vance, coupled with the international upheaval created by the Trump presidency, made the impossible possible. But much deeper currents in the Catholic Church appear to be flowing.
Robert Francis Prevost, Cardinal Prevost, has taken the name of Leo XIV. As is usually the case, no explanation was forthcoming of the decision on the name chosen. It is a matter for speculation. The name Leo was held by thirteen previous Popes. An immediate conclusion is that Pope Leo XIV intends to uphold the long traditions of the Catholic Church. Known for its conservatism, no significantly progressive approaches would be likely from the Pope who has voted in the past in both Republican and Democratic caucuses. But it is apposite to consider that the first Leo intervened in 461 in a war bypersuading Attilla the Hun not to attack Rome. And the last Leo, who led the church from 1878 to 1903 wrote an influential treatise on workers’ rights. The best we can make of this is that Pope Leo XIV is signaling that he will, indeed, maintain the traditions of the Church but will not shy away from intervening in international issues of importance and also to speak for the exploited.
The Catholic Church itself is beset by many challenges. The sexual abuses over decades by Catholic priests have left a stain on the Church that cannot be erased. Its less than robust handling of complaints and offences have been criticized and continue to be critically examined. The attitude of the Church to gays, to same sex married couples and their children, are still matters of deep controversy. The late Pope Francis was beginning to promote a positive outlook on these matters. It is not certain that Pope Leo XIV will continue on that course. While a woman’s right to choose whether or not to have a child is one of the most controversial issues in the United States, and has been for decades, and will continue to confront the Catholic Church, it is not expected that Catholic doctrine on abortion will undergo any re-examination under this Pope. But Pope Leo XIV is expected to continue, and perhaps to enhance, the Church’s focus on combatting poverty, which was the ministry of Robert Prevost during the decades he spent in Peru, a country of which he became a citizen.
The most challenging issues that the Pope will face are emerging from a world that appears to be changing. The rise of China has generated fears in the West that it is in the process of challenging the economic and military supremacy of the United States. Pre-occupied with this alleged challenge the US has shaken the world by imposing tariffs of varying degrees on most countries, including Guyana at 37 percent, and against China at the highest of 145 percent, virtually halting trade between the US and China. The US economy, which has been growing at a significant pace is threatened with recession and inflation at the same time. The demolition of agencies and departments, particularly UDAID, is likely to increase poverty worldwide, an issue about which the Catholic Church and Pope Leo XIV are deeply concerned.
At the same time manmade disasters are facing millions. The most pressing is in Gaza with killings everyday by Israel’s indiscriminate bombings and deliberate deprivation of food and medicine which is leading to starvation. Pope Francis called the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza City every evening until his final hours. It is not known if Pope Leo XIV will do the same. In Sudan, a struggle for power is decimating cities, towns and villages and creating mass displacement and extensive violence on civilians, including mass rape on women and girls. There is an ongoing war in Ukraine in which hundreds of thousands of casualties have already occurred. In the Congo a war, whose origins are somewhat obscure but relates to the alleged failure of the Congolese Government to protect the Tutsi population, thereby triggering Rwanda’s intervention, have killed many and displaced thousands. In the past week cross border bombings are being exchanged between two nuclear armed powers, India and Pakistan. An escalation can have serious consequences.
Of the many issues that the Catholic Church has been concerned about, war and poverty are among the most important. If Pope Leo XIV sustains the Church’s commitment of having these two issues at the top of its agenda, he will be very busy. If he chooses this course, and there is nothing that suggests that he wouldn’t, we all wish the Holy Father well.