Habemus Papam!

[Anonymous]

I don't get why anyone would be happy given this: "In picking the 69-year-old Prevost, the papal conclave looked past allegations that he had mishandled or failed to act on sexual abuse cases involving priests in both Peru and the United States."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trump is no longer the most powerful American in the world. That was the message and point from the Vatican.

Lmao. Love that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So to those who say he’s a liberal, what about this?

https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/08/pope-robert-prevost-lgbt/

Liberal in the Catholic Church still means pretty right wing on many issues.

The child sexual abuse scandal should have toppled the whole thing. It's disgusting and egregious they try to lecture ANYONE about how to live a pious life while harboring such villains. Pass on all of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So to those who say he’s a liberal, what about this?

https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/08/pope-robert-prevost-lgbt/

I don’t believe anyone has used the term liberal. But the fact that he aligns with Francis on his support of marginalized population is a plus. He would not have been chosen if he was seen as liberal.

Correct. But he’s been vocal against JD Vance on Twitter.

That’s fantastic!

[Anonymous]

So now we know what Vance said to the pope, twisting his frail arm: “You tell the conclave they are to elect an American—that’s US of A, pope who will be under the guidance and control of Trump.

With his finger pointed in the pope’s face, Vance says “And I mean it! Get a move on, pappy.”

[Anonymous]

He’s a Cubs fan!!
Name choice of Leo suggests he will lean into social justice. Here’s hoping!!

[Anonymous]

I'm shocked that they elected someone with two very well reported and rather shocking black marks wrt the sexual abuse scandals, the latter of which was very recent.

He has been a generally quiet and obedient prelate. He has shown deep concern for those in poverty and immigrants. He hasn't said much about LGBTQ but what he has said was considerably to the right of Francis and the more progressive contenders.

He seems to agree with Francis about relational ministry.

His stance on women is likely more conservative. He obediently served Francis in ways that may not be consistent with his personal interpretations. He has always stressed obedience, and now he will be obedient to what he interprets, much of which is unknown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So to those who say he’s a liberal, what about this?

https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/08/pope-robert-prevost-lgbt/

Liberal in the Catholic Church still means pretty right wing on many issues.

The child sexual abuse scandal should have toppled the whole thing. It's disgusting and egregious they try to lecture ANYONE about how to live a pious life while harboring such villains. Pass on all of it.

Yes, ex-Catholic here and this is the truth. There's no such thing as a "liberal" pope because there's not a single Cardinal who could get voted pope while supporting gay marriage, abortion rights, women as priests, or a true reckoning within the church on the sex abuse scandals (plural, there were many, some ongoing).

Pope Francis was not liberal.

However, Francis was kind and welcoming and believed the church needed to be more open minded to *people* if not regarding certain behavior. That made Francis a friend to people who care about the poor, who believe all humans deserve love and kindness.

I am not Catholic anymore and I don't agree with the church, but if Pope Leo is, like Francis, kind and truly loves all people regardless of whether he agrees with them, he will be a better pope than many alternatives. If you aren't Catholic (or if you are Catholic but oppose the church's position on these issues), that's a win even if he is yes, a very conservative person compared to, say, me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Robert Barron, Bishop of Winona-Rochester, mentioned Cardinal George's viewpoint that an American pope would be unlikely as long as the U.S. is a political, cultural, and economic powerhouse....I wonder if the conclave decided that America is on the decline so not as big deal to have an American pope.

Interesting. Is there a link to this?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-pope-could-it-be-american-cardinal-robert-prevost/

A first U.S. pope: Cardinal Robert Prevost chosen as successor to Pope Francis
By
Updated on: May 8, 2025 / 1:42 PM EDT / CBS News

Vatican City — Of the 266 popes who have led the Catholic Church, not one of them had been from the United States. Until Thursday. The cardinal electors gathered for the papal conclave elected an American from among their own ranks on Thursday to serve as the new pontiff. Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected and accepted his fate as the next Bishop of Rome, leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. He chose Leo XIV as his papal name.

While the relative youth of the nation, fewer than 20 of the church's previous popes had served after the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776, one prominent U.S. bishop offered possible explanation for the lack of an American leader of the world's Catholics a day before his election.

Robert Barron, bishop of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester in Minnesota, was appointed less than a week ago by President Trump to the new White House Commission on Religious Liberty. This week, however, he was at the Vatican with hundreds of other prelates as the cardinal electors gather for the conclave to choose a new pontiff.

Barron spent days speaking with the cardinals — including the 133 cardinal electors tasked with electing the new pope — as they tried to figure out among themselves who would be best to lead the church.

"Cardinal George of Chicago, of happy memory, was one of my great mentors, and he said: 'Look, until America goes into political decline, there won't be an American pope.' And his point was, if America is kind of running the world politically, culturally, economically, they don't want America running the world religiously. So, I think there's some truth to that, that we're such a superpower and so dominant, they don't wanna give us, also, control over the church."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now watch Trump claim that he got an American elected.

That’s exactly what I am afraid of.

Trump was advocating for his right wing friend, Dolan, so this is sort of a slap in the face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now watch Trump claim that he got an American elected.

That’s exactly what I am afraid of.

Trump was advocating for his right wing friend, Dolan, so this is sort of a slap in the face.

Who thinks Trump’s opinion on this matters one iota? He’s a non-concern on the subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So now we know what Vance said to the pope, twisting his frail arm: “You tell the conclave they are to elect an American—that’s US of A, pope who will be under the guidance and control of Trump.

With his finger pointed in the pope’s face, Vance says “And I mean it! Get a move on, pappy.”

Pope Leo called Vance out directly on Twitter in February, linking to an opinion piece titled "JD Vance is wrong -- Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others." It was a repudiation of a Vance statement that there is "a Christian concept" that you love your fellow citizens above and before "the rest of the world." Basically Vance trying to justify cruel immigration policies as morally acceptable and Christian despite being quite obviously counter to the teachings of Jesus.

This was decidedly NOT an endorsement of the Trump administration or its policies, or an effort to suck up to Trump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So to those who say he’s a liberal, what about this?

https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/08/pope-robert-prevost-lgbt/

Liberal in the Catholic Church still means pretty right wing on many issues.

The child sexual abuse scandal should have toppled the whole thing. It's disgusting and egregious they try to lecture ANYONE about how to live a pious life while harboring such villains. Pass on all of it.

They just won't deal with it. They won't really ever. And it happened all over the world. It's a huge stain on the church.

[Anonymous]

Is there any Cardinal under 50 who doesn’t have a black stain with respect to overlooking sexual abuse allegations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there any Cardinal under 50 who doesn’t have a black stain with respect to overlooking sexual abuse allegations?

Then maybe find one under 50? Doesn't sound like they even cared at all or tried to find someone without a stain.