Announcement prompts raucous celebration and delight among 50,000 pilgrims and tourists in St Peter’s Square

I’m rather surprised no one has posted pope news yet. So here you go. His past writings suggest a liberal bent, but popes are wont to surprise.

Robert Francis Prevost has become the first clergyman from the United States to lead the Roman Catholic church, ending the Vatican’s longstanding opposition to the idea of a US pontiff.

The 69-year-old from Chicago has taken the papal name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on Thursday evening.

The announcement, which followed white smoke billowing from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, prompted raucous celebration and delight among the 50,000 pilgrims and tourists in St Peter’s Square.

I’ll respectfully avoid the reference to guys from Chicago in Star Trek: Picard.

    • sanzky@beehaw.org
      2·
      3 days ago

      theoretically the whole curia should obey the pope, but in reality it is a very large appartus that is very hard to steer, I doubt we’ll see meaningful changes. I remember the first years of Francis reign, there was a lot of shift and scandals but also a lot of pushback. Eventually things became quieter and back to ‘business as usual’. The same happened with Benedict, it was clear he quit due to his inability to steer the institution.

      I think that is the reason Francis made so many cardinals.

      • Pete Hahnloser@beehaw.orgOPEnglish
        5·
        3 days ago

        At a certain point, you have to realise people do things deliberately. Francis set him up because he was going to continue reforms. I’m not religious; I left the Catholic church at 12. But it’s inarguable that the pope has outsized influence – we can’t ignore that.

        We can talk about what priests have done – I’m an SA survivor myself (though not from priests) – but that holds no bearing on what is expected of Leo. My gut says this was a good choice.

        Am I qualified to make such an assessment? No, I’m not. Nonetheless, I’ll hold off on any interpretation until we see action.

      • Akasazh@feddit.nl
        1·
        3 days ago

        Prevost was prior general of the Augustine order and later the prefect of the dicastery of bishops. He has a lot of experience steering and organisation like that and great connections amongst the episcopal branch.

        I think he’ll do just fine, certainly having Francis pave the way for him.

        • sanzky@beehaw.org
          2·
          3 days ago

          I think he realized his papacy was not going to be enough to make a tangible change so he stacked the deck in his favour by creating a lot of new cardinals. This way it was most likely someone like him would succeed him.

        • sanzky@beehaw.org
          1·
          3 days ago

          there is a very extreme reactionary version of catholicism in the US (like Vance). I dont know much about this new guy but at least he doesnt seem in that track.

    • Pete Hahnloser@beehaw.orgOPEnglish
      1·
      4 days ago

      Far be it for me to claim any knowledge about the inner workings of the Vatican. This said, far be it for me to cast aspersions, as popes can veer wildly off expectations.

      • Chakravanti@monero.townEnglish
        1·
        3 days ago

        Just wait til he collaberates with the fraud and his gang of incompetants over that one guy they both knew well enough and get back to adjusting the laws to accept pedophilia. Little boys for him and little girls for the fat guy that simpsons knew and broadcast ahead of time.