On April 21, 2025, Easter Monday, Pope Francis passed away peacefully at the age of 88 in his home in the Vatican, ending his 12-year tenure. Catholics worldwide mourned the loss, with over 250,000 attending the funeral and widespread memorial masses. A conclave followed Francis’ death with a new pope entering the Vatican on May 8.
So what’s to come for the Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion followers? On May 7, a conclave began to elect the future Pontiff, which ended Thursday morning, May 8. Candidates for the position included Pietro Parolin of Italy, Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle of the Philippines, Peter Turkson of Ghana and more. But when white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the world prepared to meet the 267th pope.
From the curtains emerged Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, taking the name of Leo XIV, to greet tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square. The choice was shocking to many, as until now, an American Pope was unheard of, and he was far from favored to win.
But Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration has not overshadowed memorializing Pope Francis’ life for weeks now.
“The Pope is the successor to St. Peter, and he is entrusted with the important task of maintaining unity within the Church. The Church looks to him to resolve questions of faith and morals in the Church,” said Father Michael Robinsion, pastor of the St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church here in Carlsbad.
Francis’ legacy is considered progressive for the Catholic Church. He is remembered for his increased openness to same-sex marriage and humility and empathy towards people living in poverty and immigrants. “[Francis] saw his work as being a field hospital for those who were suffering, and he asserted that the good shepherd should always have the ‘smell of the sheep’ on him,” Said Father Robinson.
While both sides criticized his shortcomings, Francis wanted to build a bridge between progressives and conservatives within the church.
Yet Francis’ life was not without controversy. During his Papacy, a culture war brewed between leaders and followers of the Catholic Church on various issues. Issues included Francis’ acknowledgment and call to action towards climate change or conflicting opinions on abortion. On the other hand, many progressives felt he didn’t do enough reform and that Francis would retract his policies in the face of backlash from the right.
Despite that, Francis was an exceedingly influential Pope throughout his reforms of the church.
“It’s important to note that Francis represented a pretty big shift in the outlook of the papacy,” said Mr. Frank Henry, Sage’s AP World History teacher. “Many would argue that Francis’ outlook was a practical one in the face of a fast-changing, globalized world.”
The Trump administration is responsible for generating some of the news surrounding the new pope. Many Catholics were outraged after President Trump posted an AI-generated image depicting himself as the pope on several official social media accounts. It was perceived as insensitive so soon after Francis’ death, and some felt that Trump was mocking the Pope and the Catholic church.
This followed the well-known strife between Francis and Trump based on sharply different viewpoints and ways of life. The two clashed on immigration and social justice, with Francis heavily criticizing Trump’s border wall, calling it “not Christian.” Francis lived humbly within a Vatican guest house with a simple silver cross, while Trump became a powerful business and real estate billionaire. Even then, President Trump was one of many political leaders to attend Francis’ funeral.
Other media involved widespread memes claiming Vice President J.D. Vance killed the pope. This idea stems from Vance being one of the last people to meet Francis before his death, after their meeting on Easter Sunday. While Vance was not responsible for Francis’s death, he faced major backlash after supporting Trump on the AI Image.
The historically short two-day conclave on May 7 and 8 built towards the Catholic church’s welcoming of Pope Leo XIV. “The pope has a lot of influence on social norms, and his public platform allows him to shape societal narratives about what is socially acceptable and what’s not,” said Ms. Brianna Drozd, World History teacher at Sage.
So, what do we know about Leo that will help us understand how he will lead the church going forward?
Born of Franco-Spanish and Italian descent in Chicago, Illinois in 1955, Leo is the first Pope of the United States and only the second from the Americas, after Pope Francis. Though much of his life was spent abroad, particularly in Peru, where he served as a Missionary and Bishop after acquiring dual citizenship. In 2023, Pope Francis turned him into a cardinal after Leo served as the Archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru. Many people are excited about Leo being the first American pope.
“I like that the pope is the first American pope. He is making history and shows that the pope can be from anywhere as long as he has faith,” said freshman and Catholic Cole Miller.
Policy-wise, Leo agreed with many of the progressive reforms enacted by Pope Francis and is likely to continue them. He has championed the rights of migrants and refugees and the poor, along with taking action toward protecting the environment and against climate change. He is described to be down-to-earth, just as Francis was.
“I believe that Pope Leo is a simple and highly intelligent person who will be transparent in his ministry and messages to the Church. As Jesus said about Philip the apostle, there is no duplicity in him. Those are my first impressions,” said Father Robinsion.
As for what’s to come, Pope Leo XIV faces issues such as decreasing church attendance and pressure for increasing social justice and further reform within the church. He will also have to address the numerous sexual assault scandals directed at the Catholic church, along with criticism for his policies and persona.
Father Robinsion said, “Leo the 14th will be leading the Church in a time of a Revolution in Technology, especially with the development of AI, and he will caution us about the place of the human person in our technological world.”
In a world overwhelmed with countless opinions and endless news, Leo must navigate how to lead over a billion people.
