Warm American welcome for Pope Leo masks US Roman Catholic Church’s deep divide
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The divide in the US Roman Catholic Church widened in recent years as a growing segment of conservative Catholics became increasingly vocal.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – As Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first mass as pontiff at the Sistine Chapel on May 9, he spoke a few words in English.
It was a reminder – if anyone needed one – that a baseball fan who hails from Chicago was now leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
For American Catholics, the elevation of then Cardinal Robert Prevost to the papacy was a shock, a cause for celebration
After the announcement, social media lit up with memes about Pope Leo eating hot dogs, bringing deep dish pizza to the Vatican and switching out the Popemobile for a pickup truck.
But despite the warm embrace of his countrymen and women, the deeply divided US Roman Catholic Church may ultimately pose some of the most serious challenges for Pope Leo.
Those divisions, which mirror more generalised political polarisation in the US, are evident in a host of issues: immigration, same-sex couples, climate change and the role of women in the Catholic Church, among other issues.
The split has grown wider in recent years as a growing segment of conservative Catholics becomes increasingly vocal and assertive.
Pope Francis – who was seen as more progressive-minded thanks to his views on climate change and migration – saw his popularity decline in the US over time as the conservative influence helped shape opinions.
In 2024, about 75 per cent of US Catholics viewed Pope Francis favourably, down from about 90 per cent in 2015, according to a Pew Research Poll.
Dr Cathleen Kaveny, a theology and law professor at Boston College who has closely tracked the split between conservatives and progressives, said the new pontiff could salve some wounds between the sides while deepening others.
Dr Kaveny expects Pope Leo, with his expertise in canon law and administration at the Vatican, to embrace his predecessor’s vision of a church dedicated to the poor and open to all, what she described as a “trickle-up theory of paying attention to people and what they think”.
If Dr Kaveny proves right, traditionalists and conservatives may balk.
“Pope Leo XIV is an institution builder and he will institutionalise Pope Francis’ visions – or, at least, certain aspects of them,” she said.
Mr Steve Bannon, the conservative strategist and Catholic who advised US President Donald Trump during his first term, also expects continuity.
“He’s an ideological twin to Francis,” he said in an interview with Reuters.
President as pope
That said, American conservatives may appreciate that the new pontiff will likely show more discretion than Pope Francis, Dr Kaveny said, perhaps shifting focus away from some of the more contentious issues such outreach to the gay and transgender faithful.
In their politics, US Catholics have swung more conservative, with right-wing media and Trump-era culture wars combining as powerful influence within the church.
Catholics voted for Mr Trump 59 per cent to 39 per cent over Democrat Kamala Harris in the November presidential election, a 12 percentage point swing from 2020, according to exit polling by Edison Research.
Mr Trump, whose Cabinet is about one-third Catholic, expressed pride at having an American in charge at the Vatican.
An AI-generated image of Mr Trump dressed as the pope
Despite Mr Trump’s welcome, Pope Leo may also find himself in the crosshairs of Trump supporters, some of whom have described him as a globalist, liberal and woke-minded.
Pope Leo has a handful of disapproving posts about the Republican leaders’
Among the posts are one questioning Mr Trump’s migration policies and another reposting an article, referring to the US Vice-President, headlined, “J.D. Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others”.
“He’s got that same Latin American liberation theology radicalness to him,” Mr Bannon said, referring to Pope Leo. “He’s virulently anti-Trump.”
The share of Americans who describe themselves as Catholic has changed little over the last decade, hovering around 20 per cent, according to Pew Research.
During that time, the Catholic Church has been rocked by sex abuse scandals that have resulted in costly legal settlements and bankruptcies, while dragging on church attendance and donations.
A number of US dioceses, including in Pope Leo’s hometown of Chicago, have been forced to close churches, while others have fallen into disrepair.
Despite Pope Francis’ cost-cutting efforts and financial management, the Vatican faces an US$94.22 million (S$122.21 million) budget shortfall, two sources have told Reuters, and a much larger funding gap in its pension fund.
‘No place to go’
Mr David Gibson, director of the Centre on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, said that Pope Leo’s ascension cements the movement ignited by Pope Francis to broaden the appeal of the church and make it accessible to more people.
At times, that has come at the expense of tradition, such as the move by Pope Francis to restrict the celebration of the Latin Mass, which enraged his conservative critics.
“The conservatives have no place to go. Leo is 69 and could be around for 15 to 20 years,” Mr Gibson said.
“This is the church now – finding how to preach the Gospel in modern times. The conservatives will have to figure out how they’re going to live in that church.”
Still, Pope Leo is an American, and experts said it remained to be seen how the novelty of the first US-born pope – and his understanding of US Catholics – could play out.
“There’s a certain kind of opportunity he has in this moment to appeal and to be a symbol that can unite and that could go a way in pulling us together,” said Associate Professor Nancy Pineda-Madrid, a theology expert at Boston College.
“I think in many ways he can stretch us here in the United States in ways that are wonderful and rich,” she said. REUTERS
