Habemus Papam: Wesleyans and the New Pope

Pope Leo XIV on the loggia after his election. (Source: WikiCommons)

Around noon on Thursday, as I walked along L Street in downtown Washington, my phone exploded with the news of white smoke in Vatican City. We all knew that it was coming. And in fact, the conclave that elected Pope Francis took about the same time as the most recent one that elected Pope Leo XIV. I wondered if holding the largest conclave in history—one hundred and thirty-three cardinals—might make for a longer one, but that was not the case. Cardinal Nichols of the UK told reporters this week that the entire experience was "immensely peaceful." To be elected to the papacy, one needs to receive the votes of over two-thirds of the participants. Sometimes such consensus can take time. 

It did take a little while longer than usual for the papal procession to appear on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, but when it did and the words “habemus papem!” were exclaimed, I was just as curious as anyone to hear who had been appointed the Bishop of Rome. My Latin is good enough to have picked up most of what was said—I knew that the next pope wanted to be called Leo—but I didn’t recognize the name of the cardinal. The biggest surprise for me, however, was that they had chosen an American, the first ever to hold this office. 

I have been involved in ecumenical dialogue, particularly with Roman Catholics, for over a decade. On more than one occasion, the officials at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have told me that they like me around because I'm a Protestant who "speaks Catholic." I picked up this "language" studying under Geoffrey Wainwright and Karen Westerfield Tucker, both titans of the ecumenical world. I can still remember a class session when Wainwright informed us that we would not be meeting later that week because he had meetings in Rome with then-Cardinal Ratzinger, later the 265th pope, Benedict XVI. 

But what do we know about the 267th pope? His name before the election was Robert Francis Prevost. He was born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Spanish and French-Italian heritage. Apparently, he has been a White Sox fan his entire life. As a child he served as an altar boy. He attended Villanova and was ordained in 1982. Prevost moved to Peru three years later, but regularly returned to the States to serve as both a pastor and a prior. In fact, he holds both US and Peruvian citizenship. His ministry has been marked by engagement with the marginalized and by bridge-building. 

Prevost’s ministry included ten years as a seminary professor. In 2014, Francis named him Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru. He became archbishop and cardinal in 2023, moving to Rome that same year to direct the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, that part of the Roman Curia that oversees the selection of new bishops around the world. 

Trying to pigeonhole Catholic leaders into ideological camps is not easy, nor even useful. The pope is best described as a Catholic. Among Catholic leaders, he could be identified as center-right, but even that designation is marked by difficulties. He holds to the theological and social commitments of the church and therefore does not fit well within the usual political spectrum. He appears to be someone who holds his office with modesty and respects the long traditions of the papacy. Even the way that he was dressed when he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s signaled respect and seriousness for the new work entrusted to him. 

In his words to those gathered in St. Peter’s square he highlighted the love of God, the admiration he has as an Augustinian for Augustine of Hippo, and his firm belief that there is room within the Christian faith for everyone. He said, “God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs his light.” 

In his first mass as pope, Leo XIV said that the church must “desperately” counter a lack of faith, arguing that what often replaces it is shallow and lifeless. He called for the church to be a “beacon that illuminates the dark nights of this world” and stated that “a lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.” Only in Christ can humanity find its true and eternal hope. 

I’m excited to see how Leo XIV will lead the Catholic Church. Not quite as excited as his fellow Chicagoans, though. The front page of the Chicago Sun Times on Friday included a large picture of Leo XIV with the headline “DA POPE!” I’m excited by the opportunities the new papacy presents for ecumenism. Just after Leo XIV’s election, I received a text from an Eastern Orthodox friend in Romania who is excited about the opportunity for unity between Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. Other friends in Anglicanism have voiced similar aspirations on social media. 

I’m also excited by the new pope’s commitment to evangelism. An upswing in conversions and church attendance has recently been seen in the UK, France, and the US among Catholics and Anglicans, not to mention the continued growth of the church in parts of Africa and Asia. A pope with a worldwide bully pulpit and a commitment to evangelism can help to further these movements. Whatever part of the church we belong to, I hope that we can all agree that the spread of the Gospel is more important than denominational labels. 

But why should Wesleyans take an interest in the election of a new pope? On a pure practical basis, Wesleyans should care about this because the pope is the head of the largest church in the world. The Roman Catholic Church includes 1.4 billion members. The size of the church alone means that whatever happens in the Catholic Church will impact other Christians. Just think of the global interest in American presidential elections. Whoever inhabits the White House has a worldwide impact, and so it is—ecclesiastically—with the Vatican. 

Another reason is that the pope, as I have already mentioned above, has a global voice. He is the most important Christian leader on the planet, regardless of what one might think of his direct authority or its reach. The papacy not only has a global voice; in many ways it also represents the church throughout history. The historical legacy of the church in Rome is astounding. The Vatican is built on the very grave of St. Peter himself. And if it didn't require way more space than I am provided here, the list of Christian figures connected to this community and to the papacy is not only a long list, but includes some of the most important figures in the church's story. Whoever is the Bishop of Rome has that legacy to uphold and it would do no one in the Christian faith any good for him to fail. 

Finally, there is so much more agreement between Wesleyans and Catholics than is often acknowledged. The belief that Christ died for all people and that all can be saved is a hallmark of both communities. Wesleyans and Catholics also emphasize holiness, believing that the Christian life includes the call to Christlikeness and the full restoration of the Image of God. Both believe that the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist are much more than mere symbols. And both believe that the church is called to engage the poor, not as "other" but as an integral part of the Body of Christ. Both also believe in unity and church renewal. There is much that Wesleyans and Catholics can do together to advance the Gospel. 

So I hope that you’ll join me in praying for Leo XIV, for the Gospel to be heard in every part of the globe, and for the church to be ready to cooperate with the movement of God wherever it may be found. Habemus papam! We have a pope! An American one, even. It really is a new day, one that inspires hope.

Ryan Danker is the director of the John Wesley Institute, publisher of Good News magazine, and associate lead editor of Firebrand.