Pope Leo XIV - The American Pope

 “Just Thinking”

Well, yesterday was a big day—at least for 1.3 billion Catholics around the world. Cardinal Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old Chicago-born missionary, was elected as the pope, becoming the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church under the name Pope Leo XIV. He is known for his global perspective and progressive stance on social issues while remaining conservative on church doctrine. Hopefully, the new Pope will help in righting the ship and returning the Church to its core values.

Pope Leo XIV is the 267th pope in an unbroken line of papal succession leading back to St. Peter, whom Jesus appointed to lead His followers when He said, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church" (Matthew 16:18). He is just the eighth pope since 1940 and considering that he is starting his papacy at a relatively young age, he should remain a strong, guiding leader for many years to come.

The seven previous popes are:

  1. Pope Pius XII – March 2, 1939 – October 9, 1958
  2. Pope John XXIII – October 28, 1958 – June 3, 1963
  3. Pope Paul VI – June 21, 1963 – August 6, 1978
  4. Pope John Paul I – August 26, 1978 – September 28, 1978
  5. Pope John Paul II – October 16, 1978 – April 2, 2005
  6. Pope Benedict XVI – April 19, 2005 – February 28, 2013
  7. Pope Francis – March 13, 2013 – April 21, 2025

The shortest reign was John Paul I, just 33 days; the longest reign was John Paul II, over 26 years. Pope Francis was the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope. Pope Benedict XVI was the first pope to resign since 1415. Now, Pope Leo XIV becomes the first pope from the United States of America.

My Dad was still working for the Archdiocese of San Francisco when the pope visited back in the ’80s. He would tell stories about all the preparations the Secret Service made before the pope’s arrival—from welding down manhole covers to having the garbage companies remove dumpsters around St. Mary’s Cathedral. We even have a great picture of him shaking hands with Pope John Paul II.

The 2024 movie Conclave was a solid film with a great twist. It really helped me to better understand the process, traditions, and history involved in selecting a pope.

I would be remiss, while delving into some papal history, if I didn’t mention the two things that I think about when discussing the Pope.

First is Pope Urban VIII, who reigned from 1623 to 1644 was born Maffeo Barberini, but as one of my boys asked when he was young, how could we be related to a pope if priests can’t get married? Go ask your mother. The family’s emblem was the three bees, you can spot these bees on fountains, churches, and palaces throughout Rome.

Next is the classic SNL skit featuring Father Guido Sarducci’s challenge to Catholics: “Find the Pope in the Pizza.” In the sketch, he promotes a pizza with an image of the Pope hidden somewhere in the cheese or toppings. Some of the most memorable lines:

  • “You can’t eat the pizza until you find the Pope!”
  • “The Pope might be in the pepperoni, or maybe in the mushrooms—somewhere in there.”
  • “It’s a test of faith, patience, and maybe a little hunger.”
  • “I look at it and I see Saint Anthony… but that’s-a wrong game.”

God bless Pope Leo XIV.

Let me know what you think.

@ChuckBarberini - #ChuckBarberiniRealEstate - @ChuckBarberiniRealEstate

@Golden_State_Guide_Service - @Citizen.Number.One

Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA

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