Lions only roar when they have to do so. Our new Holy Father has taken the name “Leo,” which means “lion.” What are the things that concern him the most? His first week as Pope indicates that he is concerned about peace, unity, and our ability to love one another.
God calls us to love one another (cf. Jn. 13:31-35). Something that strikes me about the Gospel readings during the Easter season is that they often come from the Last Supper Discourse. So, the last things that Jesus said before he died are the first things we hear after celebrating his resurrection. We were not in the room where it happened, but we believe that we have a faithful witness to what Jesus said that fateful night.
Witness to the Resurrection
Just as the Apostles had the mission to proclaim the Resurrection, the current successor of Peter, Pope Leo XIV, has the mission to be a witness to the Resurrection. Pope Leo began this with his very first words from the loggia of St. Peter’s.
Peace be with you all! (Pope Leo XIV, 8 May 2025, Urbi et Orbi Blessing).
He followed up his greeting of peace, reminding his flock that he was quoting the risen Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for God’s flock. I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world. Peace be with you! (Pope Leo XIV, 8 May 2025, Urbi et Orbi Blessing).
Call for Unity
The love that we have for one another comes from peace and bears fruit in unity. Pope Leo XIV has maintained his episcopal motto, making a clear call for unity. As an Augustinian, his spirituality finds its roots in the writings of St. Augustine, the famous North African bishop from the fourth century. He took the words of his motto from the writings of the famous rhetorician. His motto, in illo uno unum, “in Christ, we are all one,” speaks to the current Church’s need for unity.
By doing this, he echoes one of the most urgent needs expressed by Jesus at the Last Supper. As part of his priestly prayer, Jesus prayed for unity. The media seems to be a little frustrated reporting on the new Pope, because he does not fall neatly into their preferred ideological boxes of progressive and conservative. His name recalls Pope Leo XIII, the author of the first great social encyclical, Rerum Novarum. Pope Leo XIII saw the effects of the Industrial Revolution and worried that the dignity of the working class was being attacked.
Threats to Human Dignity
Pope Leo XIV sees that in the current world situation, human dignity is threatened by certain uses of technology, specifically artificial intelligence, and is raising his voice to defend the dignity of every human being. Stanley Hauerwas, a noted Protestant theologian, commented that the problem with Christianity is not that it is socially conservative or politically liberal, but just plain dull. (cf. Barron, Bridging the Great Divide, p. 256; cited in Centered. The Spirituality of Word on Fire).
What the Church has to say about Humanity
The role of the Church is not to make politics, but to allow the light of the Gospel to shine on the situation of the world. Saint John Paul II loved to quote a phrase from the Second Vatican Council: “only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light” (Gaudium et Spes, 22). This is part of how the Church stays relevant in a constantly evolving world. Pope Leo XIII set in motion a tremendous service of the Church by shining the light of the Gospel on the social situation of his day. Popes throughout the 20th century continued his work, often with encyclicals relating back to it in some way with the title. We can expect the same to happen with Pope Leo XIV, applying the social doctrine of the Church to the new situations of today.
What About Us?
Now, what does this all mean for us? It is great to speculate on what Pope Leo should do. I have been enjoying doing precisely that for the last week, since he got elected. But the Gospel is for each one of us. We are called to live out the Gospel message in our lives. It is not enough to talk about unity in other places. We should be ministers of unity in our homes, families, and environments. What can you do this week to promote unity?
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