Man of Three Worlds – “Leo XIV presented himself to the world, visibly moved, reading a text he had prepared full of cross-references, explaining who he is and some, at least, of what he wants to do.” Leo XIV, the Pope, called to bring unity (Monday Vatican)
A Calm Pope Amid the Ecclesial Storm – “So far, Pope Leo’s style is relatively low-key. He is joyful but calm. He seems intent upon intentionally disarming a church that has become terribly polarized.” Analysis: Quietly, without flashiness, a disarming Pope Leo strives toward unity (Our Sunday Visitor)
English Poetry – “A poet reviews three essential guides to the history and craft of writing poetry in English, which point to a bright future for versification.” To Rhyme Is Human (Plough)
Warnings in Scripture – “God forbid that any one of us in his own station and according to his own opportunity should have in any degree helped on the diminution and wasting away of those things which Christ and his Apostles have bequeathed to us!” Newman, Augustine, and Leo XIV (First Things)
Expressions of Continuity – “Popes are, well, successors of their predecessors. By definition. And in that sense, they are followers.” Pope Leo XIV: Follower and Leader (Earthly City – Substack)
Pope Leo XIV on Homosexuality – “Welcome back to Forgotten Fact Checks. This week, we look at the media reaction to Pope Leo’s past comments on the ‘homosexual lifestyle,’ and cover more media misses.” Journalists Shocked to Learn the Pope Is Catholic (National Review)
Hard Power, Soft Power – “There is little without precedent in the Catholic Church, but it is fair to say nothing exactly like this has happened before and safe to say it took Church watchers quite by surprise.” Pope Leo XIV: What we know already (and what we can expect) (Crux Now)
Who Got Played? – “Both orthodox Catholics and modernists have been celebrating, while there have been naysayers on both sides, too.” Leo XIV: the Man, the Priest, and the Bishop – Who is He? (RORATE CÆLI)
The Stendhal Syndrome – “As Stendhal knew, the reason for art is to make you feel. Do not try to grasp the artwork: allow it to grasp you instead.” The ecstatic swoon (aeon)
Craving the Real and Deep – “The Catholic church is seeking to change the world again, rather than the other way around.” I’m praying that the 60s cultural revolution is finally over (The Telegraph)
Solidarity with Journalists – “Peace begins with each one of us: in the way we look at others, listen to others and speak about others. In this sense, the way we communicate is of fundamental importance: we must say “no” to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war.” Meeting with Media Representatives in Rome for the Conclave, 12.05.2025 (Holy See Press Office)
Exuding Calmness and Reassurance – “He has already said that he chose his regnal name in honour of Leo XIII, out of admiration for his teachings on modern social doctrine expressed in Rerum Novarum of 1891.” Signs of the times: what can we already discern about the pontificate of Leo XIV? (Catholic Herald)
(*The posting of any particular news item or essay is not an endorsement of the content and perspective of said news item or essay.)
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