Pope Leo XIV - First American Pope Elected New Leader

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025. His political views reflect a blend of continuity with his predecessor, Pope Francis, and a commitment to addressing contemporary global challenges.

Pope Leo XIV has emphasized themes of peace, compassion, and dialogue in his inaugural address, calling for unity and charity. He is known for taking progressive stances on immigration and social justice, potentially setting him apart from some American political agendas. 

Pope Leo XIV has pledged to continue Pope Francis’ legacy, including synodality which a model of inclusive church governance and advocacy for the marginalized. His stance on climate change is expected to align with Francis’ pivotal work, particularly the landmark “Laudato Si’” encyclical.

While progressive on some issues like climate change, Pope Leo XIV also holds firm traditional views on abortion and gender ideology. He aims to restore intellectual rigor and spiritual focus, offering a blend of tradition and reform.

Pope Leo XIV inherits significant challenges: resolving doctrinal debates on issues like LGBTQ+ inclusion, female ordination, and birth control; addressing clerical sexual abuse scandals and financial instability; and responding to geopolitical tensions and environmental crises.

In summary, Pope Leo XIV's political views are characterized by a commitment to social justice, continuity with Pope Francis' progressive reforms, and a balanced approach to tradition and modernity.

Reaction from The Standing Bear Network:

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They say his name is Pope Leo XIV, and that he is the first to come from the United States. But to us, the First Peoples of these lands — the ones whose stories stretch back to the rivers, stars, and stones — we do not judge leaders by their titles, but by their relationship to the truth.

 

And so, we look closely.

 

Before the white smoke rose in Rome, Robert Francis Prevost spent years in Peru, walking among Indigenous peoples in the Andes. He was a missionary there — a man of the Church bringing his teachings into communities that already had their own ways of praying, healing, and knowing the land. Some say he offered education and support. Others know the weight that always follows when priests arrive with crosses in one hand and promises in the other.

 

He is no stranger to our communities — not by name, but by role. A missionary.To many of our ancestors, that meant more than faith. It meant the dismantling of language, the replacing of ceremony, the burning of sacred objects. But this Pope, like the one before him, speaks of bridges. He says he wants to walk with the poor. To reach those forgotten. He says he respects the work of Pope Francis, who came to our lands, apologized for the Church’s role in the genocide of residential schools, and asked for forgiveness — even if the Doctrine of Discovery still hangs like a ghost in Vatican vaults. Pope Leo XIV brings with him the promise of continuity — to build on what was started.

 

But we do not need continuation. We need transformation. We need a Pope who will not just visit our territories, but return what was taken. We need more than apologies — we need the Vatican to rescind the very doctrines that declared our lands empty and our lives disposable. We need our languages supported, our spiritual leaders respected, our sovereignty recognized — not just in words, but in deeds.

 

If Pope Leo is truly listening, then let him hear this: We are still here. We have our own ways.

We are not seeking salvation — we are seeking respect, justice, and the restoration of what was stolen in the name of Christ.

 

If he is to walk beside us, he must come not as a teacher, but as a guest. Not as a savior, but as a learner.

Let the bridge he builds be made of truths finally spoken — and foundations set not in Rome,

but in the lands where our ancestors still whisper to us through the trees.

 

Tapwe,

Kanipawit Maskwa

John Gonzalez

Standing Bear Network