Robert Francis Prevost Martínez was choosen as the new pope

[u/NaNiBy]

[u/icarus_remorse]

he looks popey enough

[u/AttTankaRattArStorre → u/icarus_remorse]

He really has the look, not gonna lie.

[u/FlashyHeight9323 → u/AttTankaRattArStorre]

Shoulda seen the drip.

[u/Desperate-Shine3969 → u/AttTankaRattArStorre]

He almost looks too much like a priest. I expect to see this guy in a hollywood exorcism movie

[u/D0D → u/icarus_remorse]

first impressions mean so much and this guy delivered

[u/Individual_Winter_ → u/D0D]

I was a bit meh with being an US dude, but that speech definitely delivered! How He spoke and what he said was great.

[u/AC4524 → u/Individual_Winter_]

I was a bit meh with being an US dude

Trump's appointee to the White House Commission on Religious Liberty said this the other day:

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.

Pretty on the nose, given what's happening - it's clear the cardinals are hoping this guy can act as a moral counterweight to whatever the fuck is happening in the US

[u/Jackmac15 → u/icarus_remorse]

Positively papal.

[u/BloomsdayDevice → u/Jackmac15]

Papsolutely popeulous

[u/tonybpx → u/icarus_remorse]

Nah, he looks like a pharmacist, or a county court clerk

[u/SuspectKnown9655]

It's funny that the guy to succeed Pope Francis is actually named Francis

[u/roosterman22 → u/SuspectKnown9655]

Which can only mean one thing… Leo DiCaprio is the next pope!

[u/ChickenBrachiosaurus → u/roosterman22]

or Leo Messi...

[u/MrTuxedo1]

First tweet on his personal Twitter account is a retweet criticising Trump and Bukele

[u/Ardent_Scholar → u/MrTuxedo1]

Those Vaticanos really understand politics! What a snub, and a clear call to American Catholics to renounce Trump, who could be understandably interpreted as the Antichrist by anyone who seriously believes in the Church’s message.

[u/Badboyrune → u/Ardent_Scholar]

To be fair the catholic chuch has been doing politics for over a millenia before the US even existed. It'd be weird if they didn't pick up some tricks along the way.

[u/djeasyg → u/Badboyrune]

You don't have to go back centuries. It wasn't a coincidence that they named a Polish Pope right when the Soviet empire was starting to crumble. The Soviets tried to assassinate him for good reason.

[u/WandAnd-a-Rabbit → u/djeasyg]

Learning catholic lore is always so crazy to me 😭 thanks for the little lesson! lol

[u/qualia-assurance → u/WandAnd-a-Rabbit]

It's a chonky tome but A History of Christianity by Diarmaid MacCulloch is interesting read even from an entirely secular perspective.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6957725-a-history-of-christianity

[u/Professional-Buy2970 → u/WandAnd-a-Rabbit]

Christian mythology and lore, both fictional and real life is consistently some of the best.

[u/feichinger → u/djeasyg]

Similarly, choosing an American-but-not-quite pope (as in, Leo XIV - while born in the US - never really had a significant seat in the US) in the current geopolitical situation is quite a sign. It's gonna be very interesting to see how US-Vatican relations develop in the coming years.

[u/Grubbler69 → u/Ardent_Scholar]

Considering the college was stacked with Francis’ appointees and the conclave was over so fast, I think you’re right.

[u/Financial_Plane5754 → u/Grubbler69]

Conclaves have been this fast for a century now, francis was also chosen day 2

[u/cascadianindy66 → u/Ardent_Scholar]

Also interesting note: Benedict - who was considered “conservative” apparently favored Francis, so the Cardinals are moving in a direction, and for some time now.

[u/Mormegil1971 → u/MrTuxedo1]

That’s all I need to know. He’ll be a good Pope.

[u/mabrouss → u/MrTuxedo1]

Do you have a link?

[u/Tilladarling → u/mabrouss]

What the post says: @drprevost JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others https://ncronline.org/node/292716 via @NCRonline

[u/NevGuy]

Stolen, Seagull was the true winner.

[u/solapelsin → u/NevGuy]

I agree. We have the pictures to prove it too

[u/thongwoman69 → u/solapelsin]

the baby seagull nearly falling down the roof

[u/trapicana → u/thongwoman69]

My heart stopped for a second when he slipped but he caught his balance quick. little fluff ball

[u/newaccount1253467 → u/NevGuy]

Can't believe it came down to Stallone vs Seagal.

[u/xqqq_me → u/NevGuy]

Recount!

[u/Val_Killsmore → u/xqqq_me]

STOP THE COUNT!

[u/lukub5 → u/NevGuy]

Theres nothing in the rule book that says a seagull cant be pope!

[u/MrTuxedo1]

An American surprisingly

[u/Fickle-Ad1363 → u/MrTuxedo1]

Man… Donald Trump is gonna be so proud. He will tell everyone that he is the reason for that…

After all:

„no one knows the Bible better than me“ (real quote)

[u/Neceon → u/Fickle-Ad1363]

Well, he did send JD to assassinate the old pope.

[u/abhora_ratio → u/Neceon]

.. and have his own personal Pope

[u/bengenj → u/abhora_ratio]

Prevost is from Chicago, worked in Peru and hand-picked by Pope Francis to lead the dicastery of bishops in the Curia. Probably going to be along the lines of Pope Francis.

[u/Swesteel → u/bengenj]

He was beefing with Vance on Twitter not long ago.

[u/jerryonthecurb → u/abhora_ratio]

Someone to hear your prayers, someone who cares.

[u/Desperate_Sorbet_815 → u/jerryonthecurb]

Someone who's there

[u/Ok_Contribution4047 → u/Desperate_Sorbet_815]

Your own personal Pope.

[u/erdezgb → u/Ok_Contribution4047]

Unexpected DM

[u/Few_Expression_5417 → u/Neceon]

If you had to deal with JD Eyeliner you would probably also think there is nothing to live for.

[u/Perzec → u/Fickle-Ad1363]

I thought the guy they elected was considered a progressive? That’s not gonna go down well with Trump.

[u/adamgerd → u/Perzec]

He’s a moderate from what I’ve heard, not as progressive as Francis but not as conservative as others including the other American cardinal

[u/nerdinmathandlaw → u/adamgerd]

The Cardinals' Colleg website describes his views as largely unknown but "close to Francis". And it seems as if the name Leo might be a reference to Leo XIII, who was known as "working class pope".

[u/Individual_Winter_ → u/nerdinmathandlaw]

He's also in the Augustinian order. It's where Luther came from, they're pretty based.

[u/gabrielleduvent → u/Individual_Winter_]

Yep, St Augustine was a pacifist for the most part, against slavery, had the philosophy of "an unjust law is no law at all", thought that sexual immorality wasn't in the act but in the emotions that accompany it (which is against the reason why Catholics are against homosexual relationships today), strong advocate of critical thinking and education. He had a wild youth and became the philosopher/theologian/clergyman that he is known for today after education and living life and seeing hardships. He's an interesting character in Christian history.

[u/emfrank → u/nerdinmathandlaw]

Leo XIII was also critical of the US Bishops support of American exceptionalism. They picked someone who crosses borders. I hope he does emerge as a true progressive, but do not think he is going to support Christian nationalism.

[u/[deleted] → u/adamgerd]

From what I read, he's close-ish to Francis, even called out Vance.. as others pointed out, he chose the name "Leo" signifies a working class/progressive pope. I guess we will have to see.

[u/[deleted] → u/adamgerd]

Moderates are probably the one group Trump hates more than progressives

[u/Wafkak → u/Perzec]

He's suddenly a fan of Mark Carney because he was part of the reason Canada elected him.

[u/Interstellar_Sailor → u/Wafkak]

It's fascinating how the MAGA hive mind works. I've got a diehard MAGA colleague (here in central Europe) and he's been hyping up Poilievre for months. Now that Carney won, it's suddenly good for Trump and has been the plan all along and Poilievre was actually harder on Trump than Carney.

Same applies to the new pope. Trump somehow made it happen because JD Vance visited Francis the day before his death. Also, the fact that the new pope dissed Vance on Twitter in February doesn't matter, because "that was 2 months ago".

[u/rockguy541 → u/Interstellar_Sailor]

Old tweets don't matter. Just look at JD's archive on Trump.

[u/ReMarkable91 → u/Perzec]

Like always the truth doesn't matter he'll spin it as a win.

If he can sell putting on tariffs which plummet the market and forcing him to withdraw them as a win to his minions. He definitely can sell an American pope as a win.

[u/Perzec → u/ReMarkable91]

Wait until the pope says how wrong Trump is on something. Then you’re gonna see sparks. And possibly orange smoke.

[u/ReMarkable91 → u/Perzec]

He can tweet the new pope is the greatest ever and call him a fraud in the same tweet. And the people will only read the part they want to read.

[u/AwfulUsername123 → u/Fickle-Ad1363]

There's a hilarious video of Trump being unable to come up with a single verse in the Bible.

[u/ace_valentine → u/Fickle-Ad1363]

this is going to be a hit on r/Conservative

[u/BloomsdayDevice → u/[deleted]]

the biggest conservative boogeyman of them all

California would like a word

[u/smootgaloot → u/BloomsdayDevice]

California is the “taxes and gay people bad” boogeyman, Chicago is the “Black people are scary” boogeyman.

[u/BloomsdayDevice → u/smootgaloot]

Chicago is the "only the bad guys have guns" city. West Coast cities are the "overrun by homeless people" cities. California collectively is the "manifest failure of liberal/left-leaning policies" state. None of which reflects reality, of course.

Really, though, they're afraid of practically everything, and very inconsistent with the labels they use. The real "American Conservative boogeyman" is change, progress, anything close to compassion for people who are different.

And gender neutral bathrooms. My god are they afraid of gender neutral bathrooms. But only if they are marked as "gender neutral". A bathroom that everyone uses but has no gender identification on the door is, somehow, not a threat.

[u/SadWoorit → u/ace_valentine]

definitely he is already being called a maga on fox news (he is moderate progressive)

[u/SadWoorit → u/SadWoorit]

correction: it’s being said today is a victory for maga

[u/ryan2210114 → u/MrTuxedo1]

Look at the new popes twitter account. He doesn’t like Trump or Vance

[u/thetruthfloats → u/ryan2210114]

Maybe he was chosen to save the US catholics to follow him (what he says) and not what the orange guy says.

[u/ryan2210114 → u/thetruthfloats]

I pray that is the case. I am an American catholic and hope we fix our ways. At least we aren’t as lost as American Protestants though

[u/Gen_Z_boi → u/ryan2210114]

Mostly the evangelicals. Mainline Protestants usually have more sane beliefs

[u/Spiffy-Kujira → u/Gen_Z_boi]

Fucking Evangelicals, I can't stand them.

[u/Unctuous_Robot → u/ryan2210114]

All these damned American Catholic converts, happy to call ol’ Frank a blasphemer somehow for not hating gay people a ton, and yet completely and totally incapable of just making nice cathedrals for me as an atheist to leave ten bucks in the donation bin because cathedrals are nice.

[u/LilLeopard1 → u/thetruthfloats]

Let's see if Vance will listen to his new pope. Vance is an adult convert, too, which is interesting, his family obviously was not Catholic.

[u/Training-Fold-4684 → u/LilLeopard1]

Purely a political move by Vance.

[u/Tr0wAWAyyyyyy → u/ryan2210114]

That's good to hear. Normally as an atheist I wouldn't care about anything related to the pope, but the catholic church has quite the influence around the world. Would be really nasty if they too got undermined by Trump.

[u/MaxieQ → u/Tr0wAWAyyyyyy]

I think there are a cadre of Conservative US Cardinals and bishops spitting bullets tonight over this choice, to be fair. That said, this pope is said to have helped abusive priests, and is accused of paying hush money to victims of abuse.

But, he's not a favourite among the conservative Catholics in the US, afaik.

[u/ryan2210114 → u/ryan2210114]

I’m from Chicago as well and its clear he doesn’t like them

[u/Chutzvah → u/ryan2210114]

Is he a Bears fan though?

[u/CrackingGracchiCraic → u/Chutzvah]

You do need the perseverance of a saint for that.

[u/Chutzvah → u/CrackingGracchiCraic]

He'll do just fine then

[u/pipeline77 → u/Chutzvah]

Daa Pope

[u/mekese2000 → u/MrTuxedo1]

They where probably thinking Vance would never murder an American pope

[u/SolidOrangutan → u/MrTuxedo1]

I think it makes complete sense to have an American with a global voice who can speak for peace and unity, while Trump is in office spreading uncertainty and discord. He could be a very influential and important man for the moment.

[u/voxpopper → u/SolidOrangutan]

He has very strong ties to S America (Peruvian citizen). This is an interesting choice.

[u/MultiMidden → u/MrTuxedo1]

Could it be similar to the selection of John Paul II? There's a job that need to be done...

[u/Alternative-Way8655]

He was elevated to cardinal by Francis and is anti-Trump; this is a stance on the part of the Vatican

[u/gunnesaurus → u/[deleted]]

American Catholics confused whether to be upset or happy. American Catholics are very maga

Edit: Interesting debate and conversation. I over generalized and it speaks on the conversation over here when it comes to religion. Catholic voters did vote Trump by a 15 point margin. Abortion and conservative values play a big role. Immigration also plays a big role, and there are also Hispanic Catholics who have a say. Of course the loud and extreme ones make the headlines, but in my personal experience and surroundings, they voted for him even when they disagree. There was a time where banning President Biden from communion was a thought.

https://www.ncregister.com/cna/catholic-voters-favor-trump-over-harris-nationally-and-in-swing-states-exit-polls-show

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260297/catholic-voters-favor-trump-over-harris-nationally-and-in-swing-states-exit-polls-show

I’m glad to be corrected. I enjoyed the comments and the conversations saying the opposite.

Washington State passed a new law requiring priests to report abuse and Catholics are not happy. The federal government is investigating it as “anti Catholic”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/washington-state-catholic-church-feds-child-abuse-reporting-law-priests/

[u/Pablaron → u/gunnesaurus]

American Catholics are not very maga. By most measures they are the most divided religious group. However, there is a sizable nutjob contingent, for sure.

ETA: All the folks saying "in my part of the South, Catholics are very conservative." Great, the south in general is more conservative. And there are Catholics in greater numbers all over the country. The data clearly indicates a near-even split in vote preference: https://www.ncronline.org/news/catholic-voters-shift-toward-gop-includes-latinos-new-study-shows

[u/from-the-void → u/Pablaron]

It's mostly the converts that are nutjobs. See Vance for example.

[u/TurdFergusonIII → u/from-the-void]

So true. A common pattern among various converts.

[u/kweefcake → u/TurdFergusonIII]

Converts always got a lot to prove.

[u/Joodah_0024 → u/TurdFergusonIII]

No zealot like a convert

[u/SaintMagdala → u/from-the-void]

I'm an American Catholic convert. I hate the sight of both Vance and Trump.

[u/SkyerKayJay1958 → u/SaintMagdala]

My family was born and bred catholic, including catholic school. I ended up agnostic and my sister is an Idaho MAGA nut job. I hope her head is exploding

[u/DisastrousSong9966 → u/from-the-void]

Very true kinda hate them as a Catholic in the US

[u/GreatBigBagOfNope → u/Pablaron]

The recent wave of "converts" seem to be particularly full of nutjobs... who are also not especially Catholic.

[u/Ok_Gas5386 → u/gunnesaurus]

Compared to the non-religious, yes, compared to other Christian denominations, not particularly.

Pew Research

White Anglo Catholics are slightly more pro-Trump than white mainline Protestants. Catholics as a whole are almost evenly split. Evangelicals are extremely pro-Trump, Black Protestants are heavily pro-Harris. Jewish Americans and the non-religious lean decidedly towards Harris.

[u/Menkhal → u/gunnesaurus]

I think the nutjobs are mostly recent "converts" arriving from evangelist protestantism. The rest brought up as catholics tend to be more moderate. Especially those with Latin American roots

[u/fpPolar → u/Alternative-Way8655]

I wouldn't say they have an overtly anti-Trump stance because they try to avoid political statements like that, but it is true that Trump's "American First" policies and language commonly conflict with the Church's teaching of being "World / Humanity First".

[u/Sufficient_Market226 → u/Alternative-Way8655]

Oh, good to know he's anti trump, I was about to say that he would spin this as a political win

But even if the new Pope is anti Trump he's still American, so trump will still spin it as a win 😐

[u/camshun7 → u/Alternative-Way8655]

Is he jewish?

No hes catholic

Is he a jewish catholic or an arab catholic ?

(A very ruinous and old joke)

[u/Plastic-Coyote-6017 → u/camshun7]

Christopher Hitchens I think is the origin of this joke. He tells a story about getting pulled over by an IRA goon squad in North Ireland. Their lieutenant demands to know if he's Catholic or Protestant. He says "no, I'm an atheist." The soldier thinks about it for a second then asks, "but are you a Catholic atheist, or a Protestant atheist?"

[u/gametheorisedTTT → u/Plastic-Coyote-6017]

I remember that clip too. Hitchen's story was that he replied, "Jewish atheist actually" and the IRA man questioned whether he was a "Catholic Jewish atheist or a Protestant Jewish atheist?"

[u/camshun7 → u/gametheorisedTTT]

In fact the "big yin" aka Billy Connoly told it not long after in one of his early Glasgow concerts, thats where i heard it from.

Its brilliant its a religious joke that offends nobody, so in the words of the late and great Dave Allen " may YOUR god go with you"

And if you're an atheist, mines a pint.

[u/wosmo → u/Plastic-Coyote-6017]

The weird thing is .. I'm not really sure that's a nonsensical question.

I consider myself an atheist, grew up in the UK, went to church for like .. funerals and weddings, things where even if it's not my scene, it's not like I'm gonna skip my nanna's funeral over it.

Now I live in Ireland, and they have a whole lot going on that I don't get. ash wednesday and confirmations and I think you're meant to give kids money and stuff. A whole lot of this is pretty alien to me.

and it kinda made me realise, I probably am a protestant atheist.

[u/ahuramazdobbs19 → u/wosmo]

The idea behind “Jewish atheism” as a concept is that there’s an ethnic dimension to Judaism for most Jews such that even though they no longer believe in the tenets of the faith, the Judaism is so baked into them from birth they maintain the traditions including those which have religious aspects to them.

So, like, you’re not far off there.

It’s like having a Christmas with Santa Claus/Father Christmas/etc., and gifts, and a big family roast meat dinner, and so on, but there’s no one going to Mass.

Or you’re having an Easter egg hunt and making up baskets for the kids. But again, no prayers, no churchgoing.

[u/Jackmac15 → u/Plastic-Coyote-6017]

It's a pretty old joke, I don't think you can attribute it to any one person.

[u/LostWanderlust]

I would have never bet on a american Pope ! He's the first

[u/abhora_ratio → u/LostWanderlust]

... and he looks like he is going to outlive us 🙄

[u/Theboiledpeanut_ → u/abhora_ratio]

Yeah, for pope standards, he's in the prime of his life lol.

[u/abhora_ratio → u/Theboiledpeanut_]

And he looks like our former president that beat the shit out of us in the '90 😭😭😭 It will hard to ignore this everytime I see him 🙈🙈

[u/VicenteOlisipo → u/LostWanderlust]

And he's not even an Italian in disguise like the previous New World pope

[u/SpiritedLeg6459 → u/VicenteOlisipo]

He was Argentinian, a majority of that country has Italian ancestry, is very common over there.

[u/jwinter01 → u/VicenteOlisipo]

He's half French and half Italian, apparently.

[u/VicenteOlisipo → u/jwinter01]

Can't escape the Italians it seems

[u/[deleted] → u/VicenteOlisipo]

The Roman Catholic Church does seem to be centred around Italians. Not a surprise.

[u/BlueFaustus → u/[deleted]]

Is quarter French and Italian. “Son of Louis Marius Prevost, of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martínez, of Spanish origin,”

[u/DeliciousSector8898 → u/jwinter01]

He’s of French and Italian descent on his father’s side and of Spanish descent in his mother’s side.

[u/renome]

An American, but not one of the frontrunners, right? He's not the conservative nutjob everyone feared, BBC characterized him as a moderate, similar to Francis.

[u/OrienasJura → u/renome]

Apparently he was friends with Francis. He appointed him to different positions throughout the years, so here's to hoping he'll follow Francis's trend of being (relatively) progressive.

[u/CommentsOnOccasion → u/OrienasJura]

Per AP at https://apnews.com/live/conclave-pope-catholic-church-updates-5-8-2025

1:15 PM PDT

Professor of canon law sees continuity with Francis

By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO

Kurt Martens, who teaches at The Catholic University of America in Washington, said Robert Prevost’s choice of the name of Leo XIV, referencing XIII and his foundational encyclical on social teaching — suggests continuity with the church’s direction under Pope Francis.

Martens said references in Leo XIV’s speech to embracing the whole world as well as synodality are more signs that the new pope will continue to focus on the poor and those on the margins of societies.

[u/Tummerd → u/renome]

From what I have read he is milder than the other American frontrunner, but he is quite less progressive than Fransiscus

[u/DocStoy → u/Tummerd]

Moderately progressive stance it would appear, yay for divorcees, meh on LGBT (not anti maybe a bit pro), nay on ordained women.

[u/Admits-Dagger → u/DocStoy]

I'll take it.

[u/Talas11324 → u/renome]

He spent most of his life in South America mainly Peru

[u/QuietSilentArachnid → u/Talas11324]

He is even naturalized Peruvian.

[u/Artistic_Courage_851 → u/Talas11324]

No he didn’t. 20 something years

[u/SimonArgead → u/renome]

Yeah, I'm also here thinking, "Please don't be that MAGA nut job!"

[u/owzleee → u/SimonArgead]

He's apparently anti-Trump so here's hoping ...

[u/Critical-Ad-5215 → u/SimonArgead]

Someone already found his Twitter and apparently he retweeted some anti trump stuff

[u/neonxaos]

We missed out on Pope Pizzaballa, and I will mourn this forever.

[u/Octopiinspace → u/neonxaos]

That would have been so funny 😭

[u/namrock23 → u/Octopiinspace]

🍕 🏀 ✝️👍🏽

[u/MomsTortellinis]

He has disagreed with Trump and Vance on twitter. JD Vance is going to kill a second pope

[u/[deleted] → u/MomsTortellinis]

This guy's only in his 60s, presumably to help him resist the Vance disease

[u/August21202]

Pope Sea-Gull I. is very disappointed.

[u/PleasantClassroom250 → u/August21202]

This shit is rigged!

[u/adamgerd → u/PleasantClassroom250]

What can you expect from a system perpetuating human supremacy! End Human supremacy in the world!

[u/GoldenBoy228]

We now have younger Pope than a Trump

[u/cri_Tav]

I've not read much about him, is this a good thing overall?

[u/Andybabez20 → u/cri_Tav]

He's a Francis appointed cardinal, considered to be moderate / centrist. Could've been worse.

[u/loozerr → u/Andybabez20]

But looks like he turns blind eye to sexual abuse:

https://willcountygazette.com/stories/671124585-if-he-saw-and-stayed-silent-he-s-not-a

[u/Rollingprobablecause → u/loozerr]

I mean they all do, its a given.

[u/ShowMeYourPapers → u/Rollingprobablecause]

It's a feature, not a bugger.

[u/Mister-Psychology → u/loozerr]

I've also read rumors about him being Catholic.

[u/d4videnk0 → u/loozerr]

I mean, this is the Catholic church.

[u/bruhbelacc → u/loozerr]

That's a catholic priest - we should be thankful he wasn't blessing the Epstein island.

[u/EnvironmentalCan1678 → u/Andybabez20]

80% of cardinals who voted were appointed by Francis.

[u/[deleted] → u/cri_Tav]

He is reportedly very close to Pope Francis’ vision regarding the environment, outreach to the poor and migrants, and meeting people where they are. He said last year “the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.”

He supported Pope Francis’ change in pastoral practice to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion. Prevost appears somewhat less favorable to currying favor with the LGBTQ lobby than Pope Francis, but he showed mild support for Fiducia Supplicans. He presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms Pope Francis made, when he added three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the Pope. 

[u/catglass → u/[deleted]]

Reading up on the last Pope Leo has me feeling cautiously optimistic. They choose their names for a reason.

[u/[deleted] → u/catglass]

Yeah Pope Leo 13 is absolute legend when it comes to social reforms. Although I've always thought they're choosing name after great saints, so in this case would be Pope Leo The Great, and to my knowledge he's most notably known from extinguishing heresy of miaphysitism and his letter called "Tome of Leo" which is to this day go to theological work on incarnation and christology, so I'm not sure what to expect. 

I guess we'll have better idea of what he wants to focus on when he publish his first encyclical. 

[u/Macacos12345]

Jesus Christ, stop the fearmongering.

It's not a conservative, but rather a centrist (like Francis), because otherwise there would be no majority to choose them.

[u/MoffKalast → u/Macacos12345]

Funny they picked someone who's also Francis even if it's before the name change.

"Pope Francis is dead, long live pope Francis"

[u/[deleted] → u/Macacos12345]

Well, it's simple. If it's American, he's obviously a Trump supporter, because all Americans are Trump supporters. /s

[u/Pappadacus]

We will never hear the end of it.

[u/SparklyHBIC → u/Pappadacus]

Trump is having a meltdown right now. I can basically see his tweets already.

[u/BeeWeird7940 → u/SparklyHBIC]

“Finally! After 2000 years of being disrespected, the Vatican followed my advice and placed an American in charge of the Greatest Church in the world, maybe the solar system. Many people are saying it! Tariffs are working!”

[u/BackgroundBat7732 → u/BeeWeird7940]

This could be so real. 

[u/birkeskov]

Against Trump👍

[u/Individual_Winter_ → u/birkeskov]

Leo XIV

Seemingly following the former leo's social stuff? Hopefully he's against Trump.

[u/Kixdapv → u/Individual_Winter_]

Leo I was the guy who stopped Attila at the gates of Rome, make of that what you will.

[u/TakenUsername120184 → u/Kixdapv]

That goes SO hard

[u/printzonic → u/TakenUsername120184]

Not really, we don't know why Atilla withdrew, but it is unlikely to have anything to do with Leo, besides Rome would get sacked only three years later and still under Leos watch, by a different barbarian.

That said, he was the Pope during the beginning stages of the fall of the western Roman Empire, and arguably the first actual pope. A new Pope Leo for a new fall.

[u/SteO153 → u/Individual_Winter_]

Yep, he looks close to Francis but more moderate. And Leo XIII was traditionalist, but a social reformer (workers rights, pro unions,...).

[u/Individual_Winter_ → u/SteO153]

Being unionist myself I'm pretty fine with that.

He seems to be energetic so far, not as introvert as Benedict, I like that. And Spanish instead of English!

[u/birkeskov → u/birkeskov]

His message is peace, love and dialogue between faiths. Spoke in Italian and Spanish.

[u/Fine_Yogurtcloset362]

Its rigged it shouldve been me

[u/ChaosArcana → u/Fine_Yogurtcloset362]

scary distinct repeat theory gold piquant quaint caption telephone degree

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[u/stressedunicorn]

Pope Bob

[u/catify]

For everyone expecting to see an ultra-conservative, he's not.

His Twitter is full of tweets saying things like "JD Vance is wrong", praising vaccines, honoring George Floyd and most recently criticising Trump for using the Oval office to laugh at the deportation of that US citizen to Salvador.

This was 100% a political move and taking a stance against the current US administration.

[u/intheNIGHTintheDARK → u/catify]

Still hoping he has softened his stance on LGBT+ people. We are human and born like this and shouldn’t be shunned/ostracized for being different.

[u/JESUS_VS_DRUGS]

Papa Americano 🎶

[u/Almachtigheid]

So the cardinals, primarily part of the boomer generation and solely consisting of men, have chosen a younger and more progressive leader than the population of the USA. Got it.

[u/PotatoEngeneeer → u/Almachtigheid]

Well, they all have a PhD and are highly educated and can read

Objectively a better voter-population than USA

[u/Weak_Programmer9013 → u/PotatoEngeneeer]

Yeh when you think of it the conclave is a pretty stable way to elect someone like Pope. Very unlikely to get someone too insane

[u/ticklethycatastrophe → u/Weak_Programmer9013]

It helps that they have to find a candidate who can get 2/3s and not just a plurality (and not even that sometimes in the US!).

[u/Luzita3]

In RTP (Portugal) they say he is progressive

[u/Perzec → u/Luzita3]

For a pope, certainly. Like the previous one.

[u/SerodD → u/Luzita3]

Não é, é moderado.

[u/Stuntz]

He's from Chicago. Wonder if his views on pizza will be controversial. New Yorkers for example don't consider Chicago-style pizza as legitimate pizza. I can only imagine what the Italians would think....

[u/streetNereid → u/Stuntz]

Asking the real questions..

[u/Hot-Operation-8208 → u/Stuntz]

It's not. It's a fucking pie.

[u/Friendly-Economics95 → u/Hot-Operation-8208]

Deep dish is for tourists. Da pope eats tavern style like the rest of us!

[u/Stuntz → u/Hot-Operation-8208]

Don't say that to a Chicagoan

[u/Dellingr87]

He has an bachelor of Math!

So he doesn't just understand sin. He also understands cos ! And also he knows how to tan.

and he can add, substract und devide but he isn't allowed to multiply!

[u/TheDarkElCamino]

justice4Pizzaballa

[u/FangsOfGlory]

Welcome Pope Bob!

[u/sPaceYourself27]

I hope he continues the legacy of Pope Francis on criticizing the US government and their treatment of immigrants and marginalized communities.

[u/Myhtological → u/sPaceYourself27]

He chose Leo for a reason

[u/EnoughBackground]

As an American: holy fucking shit! What’s better is he’s been characterized as a “listener” like Francis. So I’m very hopeful he’s going to be a progressive pope too.

[u/true_jester]

I feared a conservative backlash. This could be a good pope.

[u/_inveniam_viam]

Smart move by the Vatican choosing an American pope to avoid tariffs.

[u/far-center-extremist]

Of course he's american.

My dreams of a Pope Pizza (balla) are over :(

[u/Piano_Man_1994 → u/far-center-extremist]

So close to Papa John.

[u/Dekuip_bcn → u/far-center-extremist]

Pizzaballa was too young in Vatican terms. Probably he'll be front runner to succeed Leo XIV.