Pope Leo XIV adopted a more modest, less fighting style for his predecessor in the early months of his Pope. Pope Francis’s openness to the LGBTQ community, his advocacy of immigration and unbound capitalism led him to rush towards strong conservative opposition both inside and outside the church.
Leo has now faced criticism from a similar quarter of Francis after gently dipping his toes into the political battles of the United States. Opponents come from conservative Catholics in the United States and Magazine supporters. Some of them wanted to take the church in a different direction than Pope Francis after Leo’s election.
The first American Pope was asked Tuesday about the plans for Leo’s hometown of Chicago to present the award to Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a member of the Senate Democratic leader. Cardinal Brands Küchchich, a Pope’s ally and friend, had planned to give Durbin a “lifetime achievement award for support for immigration,” but the move faced backlash given Durbin’s support for the right to abortion. Durbin decided to reject the honor.
Unusually, around ten US bishops spoke publicly about the award. Archbishop Salvatore Coldilone and Bishop Thomas Spaprocky were appointed to the religious free advisory body by US President Donald Trump, and were in conflict with Francis’ decision.
Leo said it was important to watch Durbin “for 40 years in the US Senate” rather than condemning the award. The Pope then opposed abortion and said that supporting the death penalty “is not actually life support,” but questioned whether supporting the “inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States” is “life support.”
Leo’s comments were immediately criticized. One Catholic Catholic, a conservative Catholic, described it as “unfortunate” and “largely irrelevant.” Right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh said “a horrifying answer from Pope Leo” and pro-Trump influencer Jack Posoviek said “a blessing. Joseph Strickland, an outspoken retired bishop of Tyler, Texas, said Leo’s remarks had produced “a lot of confusion.”
But the next day, Leo created opposition from the Magazine when he attended a climate conference, where he called for action to protect the planet and congratulated the ice. It all happens when Leo held a private meeting with Pastor James Martin, a leading LGBTQ Catholic advocate, opposed the “arms pandemic” following the shooting at Minnesota schools, criticised the huge CEO’s salary and singled out Elon Musk.
Does the Chicago-born Pope position his Pope as a countervailing measure with the Trump administration? In addition to his comments on abortion and immigration, he described Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses’ recent speech to the general as “worried.”
“He’s open to helping him and interacting with him. He wants to be an interlocutor,” she said. “His statements are aimed at Catholics, and what he is saying is that there is a “consistent ethics of life.” Yes, abortion is wrong, but life respects human dignity in all ways.
Elise Anne Allen recently interviewed Leo for a biography of the Pope, saying that about “Leo XIV: Citizens of the World, Missionaries of the XXI Century,” Leo doesn’t want to be “anti-Trump.”
For some Catholics, abortion is a “excellent” issue, and they question Francis’ decision to renew the church’s education and make the death penalty “unacceptable.”
Francis’ critics hoped that Leo’s distinctive style (such as the decision to wear a Red Mozzetta cape after the election) could indicate a course revision.
“The conservative Catholics wanted Pope Francis’ reforms to chase him into the grave. The universal church was as he saw their way and finally and thankfully passed.”
They were disappointed this week. Leo, like Francis, showed that he was trying to avoid a culture war. He doesn’t want to promote polarization. “They are very complicated issues and I don’t know if anyone has all the truths in them,” the Pope pointed out when asked about Durbin’s awards. Leo also speaks out when necessary, particularly about the treatment of immigrants. This is a question that is close to his heart from his time as a Bishop of Peru. Leo’s aim shows that when he draws a line about where the church stands this week, he is not afraid to face opposition.
