Welcome to Wednesday of the week that follows the avalanche of news about Pope Leo XIV. We will let the dust settle, offering just a few Pope Leo stories and some others from the intersection of faith, society and politics. Don’t miss the personal account from Father Gerry Kleba in St. Louis, about an event that followed his sale of stained glass windows from his church.
Pope Leo, AKA Novice Bob
Pope Leo XIV, in a meeting with cardinals two days after his election, explained that he chose that name as an acknowledgment of the similarities of our own time with those of Pope Leo XIII. He specifically mentioned that pope’s encyclical, Rerum Novarum, the first “social encyclical” that addressed the problems raised by industrialized society. By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter.
How do Evangelicals view the first U.S. pope? Writers at Christianity Today say that though Leo XIV is from Chicago, his election to the papacy reflects the move of Christianity toward the Global South.
An opinion from a Baptist commentator: Pope Leo XIV is likely to continue the Francis agenda.
Baptist writer Chris Conley offers “A letter to Pope Leo XIV from a Baptist brother in Christ.” He says, “While I am a lifelong Baptist, my own personal faith always has been marked by a decidedly Catholic tinge . . . .”
Pope Leo XIV called for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff. He also sang the Regina Coeli.
Five things to know about Pope Leo XIV. Analysis from the Christian Century.
Leo XIV, “an American and Peruvian pope.” From Religion News Service, Jesuit Tom Reese asks, “Can Leo be a compassionate pastor as well as a hard-nosed administrator?”
Francis X. Rocca, a senior Vatican analyst for EWTN News, offers his view that a clue to the future actions of Pope Leo XIV can be found in a 2012 interview. The report from National Catholic Register.
White smoke, Black pope? Previously unknown genealogy on the 69-year-old Chicago native was revealed by genealogists shortly after white smoke rose in St. Peter’s Square. From Black Catholic Messenger.
“The least American of the American Cardinals” has Creole roots, evidence of Leo’s distinctly American ties. From Religion News Service.
Was he the one? Father Gerry Kleba, an AUSCP member, recalls selling stained glass windows because a parish could not afford to insure them – and a possible coincidence at a Jewish pizzeria. Was Novice Bob the one?
The world is still getting to know Pope Leo XIV, and that includes where he stands on environmental issues like climate change. Even with few details, environmentalists both within and outside the Catholic Church seem optimistic. Before he was pope, Leo XIV said it’s time for action on climate change.
Seal of Confession
Washington’s new law designates Catholic priests (as well as clergy of other religions) as “mandatory reporters” of child-abuse disclosures, meaning they now are required to inform legal authorities when they become aware of such information — with no exception for communications made to them under the inviolable seal of sacramental confession. From the National Catholic Register.
Surveys and Research
Five years after the murder of George Floyd, 72% say the increased focus on race and racial inequality after the killing did not lead to changes that improved the lives of Black people. A report from Pew Research.
Belief in life after death is common around the globe, as is the belief that spirits can reside in animals and in parts of nature such as mountains, rivers or trees, according to a Pew Research Center survey of three dozen countries with a wide range of religious traditions. Younger adults are at least as likely as older adults to hold these spiritual beliefs – unlike belief in God, which tends to be more common among older people.
Denominational News
Evangelical groups want Republicans to include more for families in Trump’s tax cuts. From Christianity Today.
Christian groups ask the Trump administration to reconsider ending legal protections for Afghans and other Christian immigrants in the US. Another item from Christianity Today.
‘One Earth’
The Maryknoll Sisters Center for One Earth Community will present a four-part series, “Our Awakening Universe and the Future of Faith,” with John F. Haught, Georgetown University. Haught invites us to see the universe not as complete, but as still becoming—a sacred drama unfolding over billions of years. He introduces a theology that embraces evolution as the medium through which God’s creative love is expressed.
‘Wounded by Religion’
The most insidious, divisive, and wounding power is the power used in the service of God, said Henri Nouwen. “The number of people who have been wounded by religion overwhelms me.”
Australians just said NO
Australians have soundly rejected Trump-style culture wars, according to an opinion by Julianne Schultz, in The Guardian. The writer reacts to recent 2025 elections.
Pope Leo a White Sox fan
A video of Pope Leo XIV at the 2005 World Series game between the White Sox and the Houston Astros emerged Saturday, confirming his fandom for the Chicago baseball team.
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