Pope Leo 14th…
An American.
That was unexpected.
Do we need more Americans… gargh.
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So, whilst he was born in the US, the guy has spent much of his time in Peru. Social media is going bonkers about this over here. “El Papa es Peruano!” - “The Pope is Peruvian!”
Also worth noting that he’s a reformist, rather than conservative, so some of the changes led by Francis may become more ingrained and established under his watch.
I’m therefore not too concerned about the new Pope being American. There were definitely worse options.
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From NCR Online:
He is supportive of:
- Women in leadership
- Roman curia
- Confronting Climate Change
- Synodality
He is neutral on:
- LGBTQ+ Blessings
- China Deal
- the Latin Mass
He’s also recently criticised JD Vance, which is of course a good thing!
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Forgive me if I am blunt, and I don’t wish to offend those of faith, but,
This is an organisation that seems to me, in the past, to have been more concerned with protecting the reputation of the church, rather than protecting vulnerable children in its care. The same applies to the C of E hence the lack of leadership at present.
As far as I can see, religion is the cause of more conflict and division in the world than any other cause. Look at Gaza/Isreal and India/Pakistan to name just two.
I just cannot get excited by any of this
Hitler, Stalin, and Mao killed many more people, by orders of magnitude, in the name of non-religion.
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You raise some valid points over history and abuse scandals.
But when you consider there are approximately 1.4 billion Catholics in the world who will be looking to Leo for leadership, and that the Catholic church has massive influence in many parts of the world, even over non-believers, I think the views and character of the Bishop of Rome are really important in terms of geopolitics whether or not you like that organisation he runs (a bit like how the views and character of the chap at the top of the US Republican party is important even if I think the party is responsible for a large number of the world’s problems at the moment)
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Then don’t.
I’m also not religious, but I understand the influence of the Catholic Church particularly when it comes to geopolitics and brokering peace.
Look at the world around us right now, particularly the lurch towards authoritarianism in many parts of the world. A more conservative Pope would likely embolden some of the views most closely aligned with that authoritarianist advance, but a more reformist and progressive Pope could help to temper that advance.
There are issues with its history - but show me a political entity that doesn’t have that.
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Errr, you’re very wrong on toothbrush tache Adi H.
And Stalin didn’t act “in the name of non-religion”, his intention was to suppress religion as an opposing force to the supremacy of him and his regime.
I know less about Mao, but communism and Marxism generally takes (and requires at the extreme) a similar line to Stalin - external forces have to be suppressed and an atheist or anti-theist doctrine is the tool to achieve that.
Can’t worship your leader if your religion teaches you not to idolise*. Can’t sacrifice for society in the specifically necessary way if you’re living piously in a different way for a deity.
(*Unless you’re a Republican, apparently.)
It’s less about acting for atheism, and more about pushing it to bolster whatever your idea of Eutopia is.
Anyway, it’s Pope time…
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The Crusades left quite a bodies strewn around…
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Whether religious or not. Is it not faciniating world politics and news?
I think so.
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Very interesting points.
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Nothing in comparison the the Holocaust, WW2, Stalin’s purges, the cultural revolution, etc, etc.
Not quite so big, but difficult to pin down mortality numbers from nearly 800 yrs ago (& also considering that the victors generally wrote up the history!) - mid-range number seems to be about 5 million, which is still very substantial - definitely “my religion is better than yours.”
Stalin’s effort - equally hard to pin down - around 3 million in his purges? Holodomor - been to the museum in Ukraine - up to 10 million??
Yes yes, humans will find almost any excuse to pillage and murder other humans.
Back to The Pope please.
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Look up Pope Julius II… 
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Better?
Is this where I post the picture of Benedict XVI in the Hitler Youth to tie the conversation together? 
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Poor initial brief - & he was a pope, albeit a fighting one! 