Opinion Pope Leo XIV speaks of cherished values in a polarised world

The question that loomed over the papal conclave as it began on May 7 — indeed, the question that had preoccupied Catholics everywhere (and many non-Catholics) since the death of Pope Francis on April 21 — was what the Church under the next pontiff would look like. Would the new occupant of the throne of St Peter walk through the door opened by Pope Francis, and continue along the path of reform he had laid out? Or would he turn back towards the idea of the institution as envisioned by his predecessor’s conservative critics?

On Thursday, the white smoke announcing a new pope cleared to reveal the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost to the papacy. Prevost, who has taken the name Leo XIV, was born in Chicago, and is the first pontiff from the US. His election marks the end of the longstanding wariness towards having a pope from the superpower. It also marks a continuation with the reformist agenda of the last pope, one that prized the notion of a “missionary” and “synodal” (collaborative) Church — in his first address from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, this is the very idea that Pope Leo XIV underlined. For progressives, indeed, there is a promise of a people-centric institution in the new Pope’s choice of name: In his historic 1891 encyclical, the last pope named Leo — Leo XIII — had provided the outline for modern Catholic social justice teaching, by championing the rights of the working class.

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Many challenges lie before Pope Leo XIV, particularly ensuring that the centuries-old Catholic Church stays in step with the times. He will have to navigate the divides within the institution, and among the faithful, on issues like queer rights and the position of women. As he spoke to the crowd gathered in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican, the Pope spoke of the need to build bridges. In an increasingly polarised world, his words are a much-needed beacon.