The American Pope

Slightly more than a year in, is it time to offer an evaluation of Pope Leo XIV from the point of view of Creation Spirituality? I think it is.

The beautiful, elegant way in which he responded to the recent inconsiderate attacks by the POTUS was such a breath of fresh air. His choice to be on the island of Lampedusa — following the steps of Pope Francis —was important, but the fact that the first American pope decided to make such a visit coincide with July 4th was nothing short of epic.

Lampedusa is the most southern Italian island in the Mediterranean. For many years now the most desperate of migrants — the ones who can only hope to reach Europe by embarking in a perilous journey on the sea with unequipped boats — have either reached its shores or died on them. Just this year, it has been calculated that more than 1400 people found their death in the sea.

So, what does the pope do? On July 4th, 2026, he sends a letter to his nation, the United States of America, stating that welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning… is not only an act of charity, but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person.

And, on the same day, the pope is in Lampedusa and he praises its inhabitants for their very hard physical and emotional work of welcoming the migrants, while making clear that tragedies at sea are the results of bad choices made in Brussels (i.e., by the EU) and by each individual European government.

Prevost is aware that the point it is not just the migrants crisis. He knows that A.I. is a major issue — quite unexpectedly, he devoted his very first encycical to the topic, see DMs May 30 and June 1. He has been impressively clear that the “just war theory” — supported by Church authorities in the past — is obsolete and no war can be deemed acceptable, and he said that with clear and unmistakable reference to the American attacks against Iran and the Israeli attacks against Lebanon. He speaks even more clearly than Pope Francis about the accumulation of money and power in the hands of the very few, and the need to redistribute resources at the global level.

Those like myself who saw his appointment as a direct reproach to Trump— and not the opposite, as some said — were right. Those who called him “kitty” at the beginning of his mandate should have changed their mind my now.

Prevost has also stated that the Catholic moral position on sex remains the same — a very outdated one. But he immediately added that it is time to stop considering sexual morality as the most important of topics. The Church, he said, cannot reach a breaking point on this issue. He has instead promptly excommunicated those so-called traditionalists who proceeded to the ordination of four bishops without his approval. While this might seem an act of sheer power, for a Catholic sensibility there is almost nothing more offensive than what these people did. They basically said that they are the true Church and that the pope and everybody following him and the Second Vatican Council are deeply enmeshed in sin and error.

In his very recent address upon accepting the Liberty Medal, Pope Leo essentially completed the reconciliation of the Catholic Church with the Enlightenment, a reconciliation which was overly due, and for which the so-called traditionalists hate him fiercely. In such an occasion, he stated openly that the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must be recognized as completely compatible with the Christian message.

Now, we who follow Creation Spirituality have a number of reasons to criticize the Enlightenment, even very fiercely — see for example DMs July 3 and 4 — but we would consider ourselves beyond the Enlightenment, not before it. As the mastodontic institution called Roman Catholic Church is able finally to embrace the Enlightenment — and with it the notion of personal freedom and the right to pursue one’s personal happiness — I think we should rejoice, even though we must hope they move even further.

In my mind, all of this means that also matters of sex and gender will necessarily be discussed and resolved within the Roman Church in the space of a few years, perhaps a decade or so, as those who defended the pre-Enlightenment establishment have been cast out with the recent excommunications.

All considered, I think we need to think of Pope Leo XIV as an ally.

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Banner image: “Pope Leo XIV during an audience with the media (May 12, 2025).” Photo by Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar  on Wikimedia Commons.

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Queries for Contemplation

Have you changed your mind about the pope in the past year? Do you think that his global reach is meaningful in any way?

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Related Readings by Matthew Fox

Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality

Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth

A Way to God: Thomas Merton’s Creation Spirituality Journey

The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine

Matthew Fox: Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality

LETTERS TO POPE FRANCIS: Building a Church with Justice & Compassion 

Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest 

The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved

A New Reformation: Creation Spirituality & The Transformation of Christianity