SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — As the world adjusts to the election of Pope Leo XIV, we’re continuing to learn more about who he is and why cardinals believe he’s the right choice to lead the Catholic Church.
28/22 News spoke with a local papal expert about the election and talked about the future direction of the church.
The selection of any new pope always raises questions about what his election signals, and experts say in this case, the cardinals liked the path Pope Francis set, and want to keep moving in that direction, just with a new voice.
He may have chosen a name from the 19th century, but Pope Leo the Fourteenth's message is focused on the problems of today.
"My expectation is that Pope Leo the Fourteenth now took his name, in all likelihood, because of Leo the 13th example, but also because he sees a world that is in trouble, and he said yesterday, we will not be overcome by evil," explained Dr. Daniel Cosacchi, vice president and mission/ministry at the University of Scranton.
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Elected on the fourth ballot, experts say his experience in both Latin America and inside the Vatican made him an appealing “bridge builder” for a global church.
"It is clear that something that Cardinal Prevost did during the general congregation meetings over the last few weeks caught the attention of the cardinal electors. They saw something in him," said Cosacchi.
While he’s not a clone of Pope Francis, he’s seen as a clear continuation of the Francis era, especially when it comes to social justice issues and church reform.
"Pope Francis was so popular, I mean, he had popularity ratings in these polls that most politicians would die for. The cardinals recognized this. Pope Leo has tweeted about immigration and the death penalty. Those were two topics that Pope Francis spoke about ad nauseum," explained Cosacchi.
Still, Pope Leo’s early actions, like choosing more traditional vestments and sticking to prepared remarks, suggest he’s carving out his own style.
"I think we're going to see a little bit of both continuity with Francis, but also novelty in the sense that he has. He is his own person, and he's going to have his own style. I think we're going to see somebody who measures his words maybe even more carefully than recent popes in the past," said Cosacchi.
While the world is just beginning to get to know this new pope, Cosacchi says the cardinals’ choice tells us a lot about their desire for stability, compassion, and moral clarity.
