The Roman Catholic Church has been in the news a lot lately with the death of Pope Francis and the election of Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV. Of course, he is not our pope, but because of the magnitude of the Roman Church and his prominence within it, he has a considerable amount of religious and political influence throughout the world. What he says and does impacts all Christians, either for good or evil.
Many are wondering how his pontificate will compare to that of Francis. Will he continue to move in a more progressive direction, as Francis did? He, along with most of the cardinals (the body that elects the pope) were appointed by Francis. Or will he return to traditional norms? Both progressives and conservatives sound optimistic that Leo will be “their man,” but most reports describe him as a centrist. I suppose time will tell.
Francis was notoriously vague. Early in his pontificate, when asked about same-sex relationships, he famously said, “Who am I to judge?” In 2024 he said to a group of students in Singapore, “There is only one God, and religions are like languages, paths to reach God. Some Sikh, some Muslim, some Hindu, some Christian. Understood?” Both statements seem to contradict the Bible and the teachings of the Roman Church. But when questioned about these and other statements, Francis often said that he did not mean it the way it was interpreted. Whether Leo is more progressive or conservative than Francis, I hope he has more clarity or conviction, because one of those was lacking in Francis.
One of the persistent challenges in the Roman Church is how they deal with sexual abuse scandals. This tragedy will continue as long as they forbid the marriage of priests. Some have praised Francis for how he dealt with it. I think it is extremely difficult to evaluate, because cleaning it up means dragging it out into the light, which looks very messy. But if those in authority are effective at covering it up, it looks very clean. Reality can be the opposite of appearance. Pray for transparency, accountability, and, most of all, that our Father would protect vulnerable children.
It was a big surprise that Leo is the first pope to be born in the United States, especially since much of the world is currently obsessed or concerned about “Trumpism.” The apparent feeling in the Roman Church has been that the U.S. already has significant global influence; therefore, they have avoided an American pope. But perhaps they felt that the best way to balance President Trump is with another American. Or, contrary to the feelings of the media, politics might not have been a big concern. American members are excited, hoping that Leo will relate more to Americans and help grow their church here.
Of special interest to Lutherans, Leo is the first Augustinian pope. Martin Luther was an Augustinian, and the writings of St. Augustine helped him to understand the doctrine of justification by faith, apart from works of the Law. If Leo is truly a student of Augustine, he might lead Roman Catholics to trust less in their good works and more in the grace of God. That would be wonderful.
It is a good time for us to consider our attitude toward the Roman Church. Do we want it to succeed or to fail? Some might argue that we should want it to fail, then its members would be liberated from their false teachings and find better churches. I would suggest that our wish should be the opposite. We should pray that God would bless our friends in the Roman Church. And that includes leading them away from trust in good works to trust only in the work of Christ, leading them away from exaggerated reverence to Mary and other saints, allowing for the marriage of priests, and a great diminishment in the authority of the papacy. As our Lutheran forefathers hoped for, we should want the reform of the Roman Church.
I would also encourage you to use this as an opportunity for discussion with your Roman Catholic friends. Simply ask, “What do you think of your new pope?” If you struggle, like many people do, to initiate conversation with people who may not be like-minded, this is an easy way to open dialogue about the Christian faith and signal that you care about their souls. Pray for Leo, and pray for your Roman Catholic friends.
The peace of Christ be with you all,
Pastor Dan Antal