Our unexpected pope

How many people on Thursday, May 8, while waiting for the cardinals to elect a new pope, said, “It will never be an American!”

I was one of those, and like so many, I believed the received wisdom that the electors would not want the church to be headed by a citizen of the world’s greatest superpower.

In my case, I did receive a hint that in the case of Cardinal Robert Prevost, he would be an exception to that rule. An Italian journalist with whom I was discussing papabile (possible candidates for pope) mentioned Prevost. Because of his years abroad in Peru as a missionary and in the Vatican, my friend said, he is almost not American.

Indeed, only after his election as Leo XIV did I learn of his tongue-in-cheek nickname: “The Latin Yankee.”

I’m not sure many people predicted his quick election either, since he was usually labeled a dark horse at best. It is a reminder, as always, that when it comes to scoring papabile, usually those who know don’t say, and those who say don’t know.

Having witnessed two other papal elections, I could not help but be struck by the moment when Leo XIV was revealed to us. Thanks to close-ups of his face, I was struck by the emotions he was keeping in check. Hearing the cheers of more than 100,000 people in the square below him, and at the same time knowing what an awesome responsibility was being laid on his shoulders, our new pope’s emotions were understandable.

We met him on the balcony of St. Peter’s. That he spoke in Italian and Spanish (and offered his prayer to the church and the world in Latin), but not a word of English, was smart. He is the bishop of Rome and of the world, after all, not the standard bearer of one country.

I was particularly moved by his testament to his Augustinian roots. “I am a son of St. Augustine,” he said, “an Augustinian, who said: ‘With you I am a Christian and for you I am a bishop.’ In this sense, we can all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.”

This quote is from a sermon by St. Augustine, and the whole passage is worth quoting, for it speaks to how we can pray for our new Holy Father at this moment.

“What I am for you frightens me,” St. Augustine said. “What I share with you brings me consolation. For you I am bishop; with you I am a Christian. The former is the name of a duty I have received; the latter I am by grace. The former implies potential danger; the latter offers salvation. Assist me by your prayerful support, so that my joy will be in serving you, rather than in being over you.”

These final words uttered centuries ago echo a statement by Cardinal Prevost to Vatican Radio in 2023: “We must not hide behind an idea of authority that no longer makes sense today,” he said. “The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers.”

Already, unfortunately, there are the low whisperings of critics who may seek to do to him what they tried to do to Pope Francis. The political ideologues already are trying to pigeonhole him, to put him in a box, to either weaken him or call him their own. God willing, they will not succeed.

It may be worthwhile to remind us of another quote of St. Augustine that seems suitable at this moment: “If you believe what you like in the Gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.”

Let us pray that our new pope remains a bridge between peoples, a conscience for the world, a voice for the marginalized, and always a disciple of Jesus Christ.

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