Is Pope Leo XIV a Traditionalist?
The theological worldview of Pope Leo XIV is quite fascinating, to say the least. For starters, it can be seen from the way he conducted his first appearance on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica.
First of, his choice of the name Leo demonstrates a new Pope who seeks continuity with Catholic tradition. The most recent Pope Leo served from 1878-1903 and is most commonly remembered for his application of Catholic traditon to modern social problems and for composing the well-known prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. Interestingly, yesterday was the occasion of one of St. Michael's feast days.
The new Pope Leo also stood out by the fact that he wore the traditional papal liturgical garb of a surplice, mozzetta (red mini cape), and stole. In contrast, Pope Francis made his first appearance as Pope in 2013 wearing none of those 3 items, but did don the stole upon giving his first “Urbi et Orbi” blessing to the world.
Pope Leo also delivered that same blessing. He did so in a manner which demonstrates an excellent grasp of Latin. This is in keeping with (hitherto unconfirmed) reports that he privately celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass.
It is perhaps not surprising, then, that he celebrated his first Papal Mass today at the Sistine Chapel in Latin. The 2002 Roman Missal (Novus Ordo in Latin) was used for this Mass and it was accompanied by Gregorian Chant. It further demonstrated that the new Pope can read, understand, and sing in Latin.
It does not appear that Pope Leo embodies a “hermeneutic of rupture,” as initially claimed by one Catholic commentator. If anything, he appears to embody what Pope Benedict XVI described as the “hermeneutic of continuity.”
This can be seen his above-noted actions and also by the content of his first Papal message on the loggia and the homily he delivered today at his first Papal Mass. In his loggia appearance, the first words he addressed to the crowd (in Italian) were “Peace be with you,” a contrast with Pope Francis's first words of “Good evening.”
He then immediately mentioned the how Jesus Christ sacrificed and gave his life for his friends. Interestingly, this is a theme he returned to at the beginning of his first homily, when he spoke of how he has assumed “the cross” of the Petrine ministry, an endeavor in which he noted he will be joined by his brother Cardinals.
Reinforcing this message, he noted at the end of his homily the words of St. Ignatius of Antioch relating to the question of sacrificial giving. To hold authority in the Church, as St. Ignatius noted, is to subsume oneself to Christ, even if that means walking into an arena filled with wild beasts from which one may not return.
I return, then, to the title of this post: Is Pope Leo XIV a Traditionalist? If the word traditionalist is understood to mean someone who is aware of Catholic tradition and seeks to carry it on and apply it to current and future issues, then I think the answer to that question is yes. Pope Leo XIV is indeed a traditionalist.
Please pray for him. He is a very serious, sober, and level-headed man who has been given a great cross to carry with his elevation as Pope. By praying for him, we can do our part to ease this great burden.