Pope Leo XIV’s First Month: Francis 2.0?
Insights and Reflections from SmartCatholics
Three SmartCatholics friends reflected on the first month of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, noting early signals of continuity with Pope Francis and renewed emphasis on synodality, social teaching, and interreligious dialogue.
Hosted by Dominic de Souza, the episode featured Fr. Matthew Bartow, a priest at the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, and Karen Dear, a lay staff member and Catholics in Recovery ministry leader.
They sought to unpack the tone and direction of the new papacy, especially for Catholics who “aren’t really paying attention and don’t exactly know who to trust,” de Souza said.
“Most Catholics have no idea about what he's saying and what he's doing (myself inluded),” admitted de Souza. “I thought it'd be helpful to ask Father Matthew and Karen to sit down with me... and just document every two weeks what he's up to.”
Continuity, Not Course Correction
Fr. Matthew emphasized that Pope Leo XIV is unlikely to deviate from the direction set by his predecessor.
“From early indications that I'm seeing from Pope Leo XIV, he's continuing with the exact same program that Pope Francis had implemented,” he said. “I'd hate to disappoint the ones who tend to be more conservative, but I don't think it's going to happen.”
Karen agreed, observing that “it's a very natural moving forth of leadership that’s been handed down from Pope to Pope since Vatican II.” She added, “He's doing a beautiful job.”
Resisting Political Labels
The guests were united in rejecting the idea that the Pope can be easily categorized.
“Every single one of them has some sort of development to the Catholic social teaching,” Fr. Matthew said of recent pontiffs. “You really can't pigeonhole them into these different categories because we're talking about the Catholic Church, something that's universal.”
Karen echoed this sentiment. “All of these labels from left to right just aren't helpful,” she said.
A Deeper Pro-Life Ethic
Pope Leo’s prior speeches, especially a 2022 graduation address in Peru, are also drawing attention. Fr. Matthew pointed to the Pope’s support for a “consistent life ethic,” tying together issues like abortion, poverty, and the death penalty.
“If we're just only showing concern for babies in the womb... then can we really say that we're pro-life?” Fr. Matthew asked. “We're only just anti-abortion. We're not pro-life.”
Karen added that a “compassionate heart” must guide the Church’s social witness: “It is about all of those issues... the gospel in its entirety is about all of humanity from conception to death.”
A Pope of Peace and Dialogue
Karen highlighted Pope Leo’s continuing calls for humanitarian aid in Gaza and his recent message that “love does not calculate.”
Fr. Matthew celebrated signs of interreligious openness, referencing Vatican News coverage of a Muslim group that translated Fratelli Tutti into Russian:
“It is the first time in our history that something like this has happened,” he quoted Moscow’s Bishop Nikolai Dubinin. “That document awakened dialogue... Muslims perceived that the encyclical's message truly addresses all humanity.”
Women in Church Leadership
Both guests acknowledged signals that Pope Leo XIV will continue Pope Francis’s trend of including women in Vatican roles. Fr. Matthew noted a recent appointment of a woman as Secretary of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life.
“More voices need to be heard,” he said. “The Holy Spirit works through all of us.”
Karen shared her experience gaining diocesan support for a Catholic in Recovery ministry. “We're the first Catholic in Recovery community in North Carolina that’s meeting weekly,” she said. “I do see that impact... definitely at our church.”
Reframing the Francis Legacy
Fr. Matthew expressed hope that Pope Leo may help reframe Pope Francis’s legacy for audiences that struggled with his style.
“He’s going to take the teaching of Pope Francis and reframe it in a way that maybe people on the right might be more receptive towards,” he said. “Maybe people will become more comfortable now.”
The conversation closed with anticipation for the months ahead. “I think the Holy Spirit planted seeds during Pope Francis' pontificate,” Fr. Matthew said. “And I'm really excited to see the growth.”