"His past statements and closeness to bishops from the Global South — who tend to be more conservative on these questions — suggest little innovation. But his support for the synodal process and for modest advances in women’s roles in the church under Francis might leave open some doors to change."

The problem: if you want to preach justice effectively to the world, you have to practice in your church itself.

#LeoXIV #PopeFrancis #SocialJustice #inclusivity #love #LGBTQ #women
/7

In E.J. Dionne's view, Pope Leo "promises to be an important voice for social justice, international solidarity — and bridge building.

However, as Dionne notes,

"It is hard to read where the new pope will lead on LGBTQ+ rights and the role of women in the church, important issues everywhere but particularly in the American church."

#LeoXIV #PopeFrancis #SocialJustice #inclusivity #love #LGBTQ #women
/6

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/05/08/pope-leo-francis-catholic-church/

"And I think this is so important in a world that is, you know, we're on the verge of an AI dominated world that could very well further atomize us, further isolate us when we're already dealing with a pandemic of isolation and loneliness."

#LeoXIV #PopeFrancis #SocialJustice #inclusivity #love
/5

"But I think we live in a world where an increasing number of people have an idea about the other, about the immigrant, about the poor worker, about the LGBTQ plus person, about the person with a different skin color or different country of origin versus a real experience of encounter with them."

#LeoXIV #PopeFrancis #SocialJustice #inclusivity #love
/4

Then McCuller notes how, in his first public address after becoming pope, Leo spoke of the need to build bridges and encounter each other. For McCuller, this strongly echoes Pope Francis:

"One of the things that Pope Francis said that I just love, he said so many things that I love, but one of them, he said, he said, realities are greater than ideas. He says, we love people. We don't love ideas. Not to say that ideas don't matter."

#LeoXIV #PopeFrancis #SocialJustice #inclusivity #love
/3

Her "faith was alive, was a faith that did justice, that did mercy, that did service. I have memories of her making tamales in her kitchen and tortillas de harina from scratch and bringing them to the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen to feed her hungrier neighbors or helping the poor members of our family or volunteering in the rectory."

#LeoXIV #PopeFrancis #SocialJustice #inclusivity #love
/2

"When the cardinals in the conclave were looking for someone to lead the Roman Catholic church at its highest level, they appear to have confirmed Francis’ judgement when he chose chose Prevost to head the Vatican office charged that recommends who should be named a bishop and where bishops should serve:

"As Francis might have put it, in Prevost, the cardinals selected a shepherd who smells like the sheep."

~ Peterr

#LeoXIV #RobertPrevost #PopeFrancis
/29

https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/05/09/cardinal-cody-cardinal-bernardin-and-pope-leo-xiv/

"The new pope, who served in the Vatican as a close ally of Francis, is known to share his predecessor’s deep concern for immigrants. And Leo XIV echoed the late pope’s message of liberal inclusiveness in his remarks from the balcony, calling for 'a united Church searching all together for peace and justice, working together as women and men, faithful to Jesus Christ.'”

~ John Nichols

#LeoXIV #PopeFrancis #immigrants #immigration #inclusivity #justice #peace
/25

https://www.thenation.com/article/society/pope-leo-xiv-name-meaning-social-justice/

Noting that Leo XIV's first address echoes Pope Francis’ call for people to build bridges not walls and to seek peace and justice, Kristin Du Mez says,

"At a moment when the world seems spinning out of control, when hate is called righteous and lies mascarade as truth, the head of the Catholic church is pointing the global church to deeper truths, to a centuries-long tradition of Christian charity and respect for the dignity of all."

#LeoXIV #PopeFrancis
/23

https://kristindumez.substack.com/p/pope-leo-xiv