Commentary for a Sunday: Pope Leo XIV’s First Homily Is about the Challenge of Spreading a Faith the World Considers ‘Absurd’—PLUS Meet the New Pope–Same as the Old Pope

Pope Leo XIV delivered his first homily on Friday morning since being elected to be the terrestrial head of the Catholic Church.

The new pope emphasized the challenge of leading people to Jesus in a world that often disparages the faith as “absurd” or “weak.”

This from breitbart.com.

Pope Leo XIV, previously Cardinal Robert F. Prevost Martinez, is the first pontiff born in the United States in the history of the church, which was founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Apostle Peter as its first pope following Jesus’s return to Heaven.

The pope made his debut as the Bishop of Rome on Thursday in St. Peter’s Square, offering a brief message of gratitude following the appearance of white smoke over the Vatican, the traditional sign that the Conclave had chosen a new pope. In those remarks, he prayed for wisdom to lead and made reference to his time as the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, addressing his former parishioners in Spanish.

Pope Leo XIV led his first Mass as pontiff on Friday and used his homily to address the eternal challenge of missionary work in a world that often downplays the importance of faith and ridicules Christianity in particular. He opened the homily in his native English, the first time he had used the language in public following his ascent to the papacy. (For more on pontiff’s first Mass click HERE.)

**Now, Meet the New Pope—Same as the old Pope.**

One Vatican insider described Robert Francis Prevost as “one of the least ‘American’ of the American cardinals.” Having served for two decades in Peru, where he was a missionary, parish priest, teacher, and bishop and became a naturalized citizen, the new pope has spent much of his life outside the United States.

Many Catholics (and non-Catholics, for that matter) have been praying for a more traditional, conservative choice after twelve years of the globalist progressive, Pope Francis.

During his pontificate, Francis made landmark declarations that encouraged the Left, including allowing the blessing of people in same-sex unions and calling for more mass migration into already overwhelmed Western nations.

Just prior to the revelation that a pope had been chosen, Sheryl Collmer at Crisis Magazine online, a publication on Catholic issues, wrote:

Francis’ tenure was tragic and nearly destroyed the church.

And she asked:

Will we have the heart and courage to rebuild the Church after the devastation of the recent past?

Perhaps not, because Prevost’s career was apparently closely observed, if not steered, by Francis himself. According to GB News:

Francis clearly had an eye on him for years.

To summarize from The College of Cardinals Report profile of Cardinal Prevost:

[I]n 2014, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, then Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015.

Francis appointed him to one of the most influential Vatican posts in January 2023, running the office that selects and manages bishops globally. He held that post until Pope Francis died late last month.

On September 30, 2023, Francis elevated Prevost to the rank of Cardinal.

NOTE: Only those cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the papal conclave; there are currently 135 of these—the largest number in the church’s history—and Pope Francis appointed approximately 80% of them. Considering this, did a more traditionalist candidate ever have a chance?

On social issues, Prevost is viewed as progressive, particularly in his embrace of “marginalized” groups such as the migrants Pope Francis championed. The New York Times noted:

[Prevost] resembles Francis in his commitment to the poor and migrants, and to meeting people where they are.

Further:

– He supported Pope Francis’ change to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion;

– He rejected the idea of ordaining women as deacons, stating that ‘clericalizing women’ does not necessarily solve a problem, and might even create new problems, and

– He aligns closely with Pope Francis’ progressive environmental priorities. Prevost has been outspoken about the need for urgent action on climate change. He recently stressed that the Church must move “from words to action,” warning against the “harmful” consequences of unchecked technological development.

Progressives are already throwing their support behind Prevost, rejecting the idea of Catholic unity, and eager to marginalize the conservative faithful. In an appearance on CNN News Central:

Left-wing Catholic writer Michael Sean Winters of National Catholic Reporter told conservatives who are less than thrilled with a pope who may prove to be Francis 2.0 that ‘if he’s teaching the gospel in a way that doesn’t cohere with your politics, as a Catholic, you have to ask yourself if your politics need to change.’

So, despite President Trump jokingly sharing online an AI image of himself as the new pope, the appearance is the prayers of conservative Catholics were not answered.

As Sheryl Collmer stated in Crisis:

Now we have work ahead of us. We have to rebuild the walls of the Holy City, consecrate what has been desacralized, and bring back the hope that comes with Truth—and only with Truth.

Whether Pope Leo XIV will lead that movement, or clash with it, remains to be seen.