was largely welcomed, teaching that the poor are not passive recipients of aid but teachers of the Gospel, whose lives expose the spiritual poverty of af- fluent societies. But that document was largely the


work of the previous pontificate; Leo’s preferred focus is the challenge of arti- ficial intelligence, which he sees as one of the most pressing contemporary is- sues and in need of regulation and ethi- cal safeguards. Still, despite his concerns for the


world, Leo XIV remains a largely be- nign figure on the world stage. Powerful global figures seem to be


paying scant regard to his pronounce- ments relative to the moral weight Pope St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI used to carry. Leo XIV’s pleas to end the conflicts


in Iran and Ukraine, for example, have been largely ignored, as have his ap- peals regarding the treatment of illegal migrants in the U.S.


Different reasons are attributed to


this, from years of well-publicized scan- dals caused by a minority of church and Vatican leaders to a more relativistic culture that trusts less in institutions. A continued unfamiliarity with


what Leo truly stands for also plays a role, and his silence vis-à-vis Commu- nist China and its controversial agree- ment with the Holy See on the appoint- ment of bishops has reduced his moral weight in some quarters. As an American, his approach to the


U.S. has been distinctly more favorable than that of Argentinian Francis, who had a clear dislike and distrust of the nation common to Latin Americans. Leo is open about his differences


with the Trump administration on key policy issues. His decision to spend the upcoming 250th anniversary of Ameri- can independence visiting the Italian migrant-holding island of Lampedusa — where Francis made his first visit in Italy after his election — sent an unmis-


HE HAS PRAISED MANY OF FRANCIS’ TEACHINGS, AND SHOWN A WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT SYNODALITY.


Conservatives Look to Leo on Latin Mass


BY JOHN MCGRORY T


raditional Catholics in the U.S. are looking to Pope Leo XIV to solve one


of the most divisive issues in the church: the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM). After Vatican II, the church moved


away from the Latin Mass, celebrating in the vernacular. However, it retains strong support particularly among younger Catholics and priests who tend to be


more conservative. Pope John Paul II permitted the Latin


Mass in 1984. Pope Benedict XVI encouraged its


use, giving individual priests freedom to celebrate it if they so desired. Then Pope Francis chose to undo


Benedict’s work. In his 2021 document Traditiones Custodes, Francis restricted TLM by allowing local bishops to regulate its use. Since Francis had named 160 new bishops in the U.S., he knew his appointees were not supportive of TLM. Francis claimed that TLM was causing


divisions in the church, and that the suppression of TLM would bring church


unity. Unfortunately, his actions further strained the unity he sought. Younger, traditional Catholics were upset that Francis had ignored their devotion to this Mass. But now, many of the faithful are looking hopefully at Pope Leo XIV. In a letter to French bishops from


Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the bishops were instructed to find “concrete solutions that would generously include those sincerely attached to the Vetus Ordo [TLM].” It seems that Pope Leo better


understands the desire of many Catholics to worship in the Traditional Latin Mass.


MAY 2026 | NEWSMAX 65


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