After a much-anticipated conclave following the death of the beloved Pope Francis, a new pope has been selected by the cardinals. Pope Leo XIV, hailing from the U.S., was selected as the new pope at the Papal Conclave on May 8th, 2025.
The Pope’s selection prompts conversation for Catholic families everywhere. Francis was progressive and brought many social reforms to the Catholic Church. He was in support of humanitarian causes and the protection of LGBTQ people. Though he still held conservative viewpoints, he served as a beacon of progress for the Catholic Church.
Leo XIV has advocated for climate change and immigration reform, but less about gender and sexuality based politics. He also has not had the same devotion to stopping sexual assault in the church that Francis did. His centrist views also contradict the social justice ideology held by Francis. Leo XIV has big shoes (and a big hat) to fill. So far, it is unclear if he will provide the same support that his predecessor did.
Many of the cardinals up for papacy were not European, which would have been a great leap in diversity for the Catholic Church. Peter Turkson and Luis Tagle represented some of the non-white cardinals up for papacy at the conclave. Many online agreed that having a Filipino or African pope would be great for non-white Catholics around the world and would make the Church more respected. Leo XIV was seen as a middle-ground candidate: while he is not radically progressive, he is also not radically conservative. Additionally, he would be the first American pope.
Many CRLS students and teachers are underwhelmed about the selection of Leo XIV. Lalo Garskoff ’26 told the Register Forum, “The pope’s death really affected my family. We are Argentinian, and my mom grew up Catholic. She felt that the old pope was very representative of her life and positivity as a whole.”
Rory Velez-Islam ’27 told the Register Forum, “There were so many better options but also so many worse options. I am just disappointed. He is so supremely neutral about everything. I don’t even care that he is American.”
CRLS math teacher Mr. Ross Benson told the Register Forum, “I appreciate his academic education. He is fluent in many languages, and he was a math major in college.”
The internet enjoyed the conclave buzz, with X account “Pope Crave” posting fancams and fan content of all the potential popes. Philippine cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle garnered some backlash on X for a leaked video of him performing an “unholy” karaoke song, though many appreciated his buttery smooth vocals and unfeigned stage presence. A meme of an X user commenting on cardinal Matteo Zuppi’s cuteness also garnered lots of attention online. The general consensus on the new pope is that he is a disappointing choice in filling Francis’s role and in comparison with some of the popular cardinals at the conclave.
This article also appears in our June 2025 print edition.
