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As the world welcomes Pope Leo XIV, many are finding hope in the promise of expanding the legacy of Pope Francis — a shepherd who reshaped the Catholic Church by drawing it closer to the poor, the excluded and the wounded. This moment of transition is not just ceremonial. It is a spiritual and moral inflection point.
In his first public words as pope, Leo XIV proclaimed: “We have to seek together to be a missionary church. A church that builds bridges and dialogue.” That single sentence signals continuity with the soul of Francis’ papacy — and also charges us with something urgent: to build.
For the record:
12:58 p.m. May 9, 2025An earlier version of this piece dropped words from the quote of Pope Leo’s balcony speech. He characterized Pope Francis’ voice not only as “weak,” but also “always courageous.”
Pope Leo XIV said Friday that his election was both a cross and a blessing as he celebrated his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel.
But even before those words were uttered, Catholics worldwide should understand the deep significance of the name, Leo. Pope Leo XIV now carries a name steeped in social tradition. Leo XIII first framed workers’ rights and economic dignity as sacred ground in “Rerum Novarum.” This 1891 encyclical revolutionized Catholic engagement with the modern world. It emerged during an era of massive industrial upheaval, as workers faced unparalleled exploitation and fundamental attacks on human dignity — a time not unlike today. The choice of the name Leo is a very specific act, signaling the gifts of the new pope.
The values that animated Francis — mercy, justice, human dignity and care for creation — were championed by his predecessors, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. But Francis lived them with striking clarity, embodying them not just in teaching, but in action and encounter.
Over the past decade, I had the privilege of working alongside Francis through a Vatican office for human rights and social and economic justice. I also served as a delegate to international gatherings of grassroots organizers that Francis convened to center the voices of the poor. Through that work, I witnessed firsthand the vision that defined his papacy.
The new pontifex maximus has much work ahead of him to wrangle the faithful into unity.
In 2015, at the church’s World Meeting of Popular Movements, I heard Francis decry “the unfettered pursuit of money” as a “new colonialism” and lifted up the sacred rights of housing, labor and land. “The future of humanity,” he said, “is in the hands of peoples and in their ability to organize.”
Four years later, I met him again and gave him an image from Dolores Mission in Los Angeles depicting Mary and Jesus as migrants. I asked what message I could bring home. He smiled, pointed to my heart, and said: “Quédate con el pueblo.” Stay with the people.
That is the call the church inherits. Pope Leo XIV honored its spirit when he said, “Let us keep in our hearts the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis that blesses Rome. … God loves us. God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail.”
Robert Prevost, first pope from U.S. in history of the Catholic Church, takes the name Leo XIV.
At this moment of change and possibility, four principles that Francis lived, and that Leo XIV has begun to echo, must guide the church.
Cultivating encounter In a time of social fragmentation and loneliness, the church must become a home for relationships. One in five Americans reports having no close confidant. Loneliness is now considered as dangerous to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Francis reminded us: “We do not love concepts or ideas; we love people.” Catholic parishes are among the last places where people of different races, classes and generations gather. But they must become spaces of belonging and mission, not just Sunday obligation.
Community organizing offers one path forward. Through small-group listening and storytelling, parishes can become schools of shared purpose. As the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has been paraphrased, “Church is not the place you come to — it is the place you go from.”
For Catholic theologians, the significance of the name was evident, with the new pope tying himself to one of the foundational figures of modern Catholic social teaching, Pope Leo XIII, who advocated for the rights of the poor and working class.
Integral human development This is the name of the Vatican office I collaborated with. Its work with migrants, war refugees, peacemakers, the poor and workers is based on the belief that spiritual formation and social transformation go hand in hand. We need contemplative practice and emotional and spiritual resilience to navigate this age of uncertainty.
Integral human development means resisting the binary thinking so common in politics and the media, seeking truth beyond ideology, and leading with mercy. In a world of outrage and division, these are not luxuries, they are essentials.
Civic leadership Francis challenged the church to become “bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets,” rather than trapped in self-preservation. Meanwhile, inequality, climate collapse and democratic erosion threaten the common good. In the 2024 election, California alone saw 1.7 million fewer ballots than in 2020. Too many people feel invisible or discarded.
The church must follow Jesus’ call to be the salt of the Earth and light of the world. Salt preserves. Light reveals. A Salt and Light Movement would help Catholics establish relationships across difference, organize locally and bring Gospel values to public life. As one priest told me of marching in the 1963 March on Washington: “It forever changed my understanding of who God is.”
Francis recognized that the Catholic Church could no longer treat nonwhite nations as an afterthought. Will the cardinals take the next step?
Moral leadership We face a crisis of courage. Francis warned that “fear leads us to feel trapped” and paralyzed. His answer was joy, imagination, and public witness. Leo XIV seems ready to continue that witness, by “always seeking peace and justice. Seeking to work with men and women who are faithful to Jesus Christ without fear to proclaim the gospel.”
The world needs us not to be indifferent or hopeless in the midst of darkness. The world needs people of faith and goodwill who choose to encounter their neighbors, expand their circle of human concern and summon the courage to act in civic life for peace, justice and the care of our common home. Pope Leo XIV is a spark of light that gives us faith that a more compassionate and inclusive church and world are possible. May he guide, as Francis said, “with humility and conviction this process of change.”
Joseph Tomás Mckellar is executive director of PICO California, a statewide faith-based organizing network. He collaborated with Pope Francis through the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and served as a delegate to multiple World Meetings of Popular Movements.
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Ideas expressed in the piece
- The election of Pope Leo XIV represents continuity with Pope Francis’s emphasis on social justice, mercy, and proximity to marginalized communities, as reflected in his inaugural call to build a “missionary church” focused on dialogue and bridge-building[1][5].
- By choosing the name Leo, the new pope signals alignment with the legacy of Leo XIII, whose 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum defended workers’ rights and economic dignity—a framework seen as urgently relevant amid modern inequality and ecological crises[5].
- The church must prioritize cultivating encounter through grassroots organizing and parish-based relationships to counter social fragmentation, loneliness, and ideological divides, drawing inspiration from Francis’s directive to “stay with the people”[5].
- Integral human development—integrating spiritual growth with social action—is framed as essential to address systemic issues like climate change, democratic erosion, and voter disengagement, requiring a rejection of binary thinking in favor of mercy and nuance[5].
- Leo XIV is urged to champion civic leadership by mobilizing Catholics to act as “salt and light” in public life, fostering cross-community solidarity and advocating for policies aligned with Gospel values, such as migrant rights and peacebuilding[5].
Different views on the topic
- While Leo XIV is perceived as a centrist, his opposition to ordaining women as deacons reflects doctrinal conservatism that may disappoint progressive Catholics advocating for greater gender equity in church leadership[2].
- Traditionalist factions could resist efforts to expand Francis’s reformist agenda, particularly if Leo XIV’s focus on social justice is seen as overshadowing theological orthodoxy or liturgical continuity[2][4].
- Critics may argue that the church’s emphasis on political engagement risks conflating spiritual mission with partisan activism, potentially alienating congregations seeking pastoral guidance over civic mobilization[5].
- Some dioceses might push back against centralized Vatican oversight, given Leo XIV’s prior role in bishop appointments, advocating instead for greater local autonomy in addressing community-specific challenges[2][4].
- Skeptics may question whether the pope’s Augustinian academic background—emphasizing theological rigor—aligns with the practical, grassroots-oriented approach championed by Francis and his allies[3][4].
This analysis draws on viewpoints expressed in the article and contextualized by Pope Leo XIV’s documented positions and institutional history[2][3][4][5].
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