A new op-ed published Friday suggested that the election of Pope Leo XIV – the first American pope – could pose challenges for U.S. politicians like Vice President JD Vance, who have aligned themselves with Catholic ideology.
That’s according to Commonweal editor-at-large Mollie Wilson O’Reilly, who argued Friday that Pope Leo’s American roots and fluency in English remove longtime language barriers between the Vatican and American elected officials. Unlike his predecessors, she told readers, the new pope is expected to speak directly to American Catholics.
“There will be no opportunity for anyone to soften his remarks with ‘What the Holy Father meant to say…’” Wilson O’Reilly wrote in an MSNBC op-ed. “This is certainly bad news for Catholics like Vice President J.D. Vance, who want to use church teaching to serve authoritarian ends.”
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She added: “Perhaps the cardinals liked the idea of an American pope who can condemn human rights abuses and call for restitution and repentance in words that will not need translating.”
The columnist went on to tell readers Friday that the new, native English-speaking pope, “surely recognizes the need to be shrewd in dealing with American politics.”
“If and when he speaks directly to America, it will be because he has something important to say,” she concluded.
The only question left, according to O’Reilly, will be: “ Are we prepared to listen?”