As we all watched white smoke billow out of a chimney thousands of miles away, my classmates and I understood the historic moment happening in front of us. The new pope had been elected, and an hour later, in my next class, we all saw the new pope step onto the balcony of the Vatican. Immediately, journalists began writing news articles about Pope Leo XIV being the first American pope in history, and speculating about his political leanings as an American citizen. People seemed to be mostly talking about his American nationality and his origins, not predictions for what he would do for the papacy. This was worrying to me, as people seemed to think that the pope would get involved in American politics. Given the increasing political polarization and corruption in the U.S. government, having an American pope raises valid concerns about potential bias and political influence. The pope may be forced to favor America or the American government may ask him to be a political spokesperson.
Although he was one of many strong candidates, many people failed to predict that he would actually become pope because of his nationality. America’s position as a secular superpower has made the election of an American pope contentious decision for world
relations and balancing power, according to the Catholic Herald. The pope should be an impartial figure when it comes to politics, only dealing with matters in the religious sphere.
However, with the election of Leo XIV, something has shifted for the Catholic Church, and they have decided to disregard the previously sound way that they balanced global influence alongside superpower countries. Prior to his papacy, Pope Leo XIV was not known for his connections to the American Catholic church; but instead known for serving as a missionary for four decades in Peru. The pope’s American nationality seems to be a lot more emphasized on the news and on social media platforms after his election, due
to news sources being drawn to discussing American political power. The media focus on his nationality has turned the election into a political spectacle, centering more on what his American identity means globally than on his plans for leading the Catholic Church.
America’s unique role in global politics also makes any additional influence more impactful. Any person of American nationality in a position of power will cause an incredibly influential country to dominate another huge global sphere. Any influence in the Catholic Church for any country would also be a huge chance for more ideological representation globally, as Catholicism is itself the largest Christian denomination in the world, with over one billion followers.
Choosing a pope from a less politically dominant country would reduce the risk of national pressure, both from their government and global observers projecting political expectations onto them. Other countries do not have the same large political sphere as the United States, therefore allowing them to focus on solely religious motivations. A non-American pope would also be less likely to be drawn into specific political conversations and sides. America is now more politically and economically polarized than most other democratic countries, according to the Stanford Institute. Electing an American pope has tied the papacy closer to political discussions, going against the impartiality that religious leaders should have. If people are already projecting these ideas, then it the chance of the political and religious spheres colliding becomes a lot more likely.
The American government and mass media seem to be already latching on to the pope’s nationality and status to try and pressure him politically. After Pope Leo XIV’s election, President Donald Trump tweeted that he was “looking forward” to meeting and discussing things with the next pope, despite the pope’s previous views that somewhat oppose the president’s policies, according to CBS News. Trump pointing out Leo XIV being an American pope also implies a subtle pressure to sway the pope to his side. No matter what Leo XIV’s true political leanings are, people will always be keen to examine and deconstruct his American political views. America’s current unstable political state puts too much pressure on the pope to speak on the current administrations’ policies and take a political side. Even other countries are examining the pope through a US-specific political lens, as shown in a BBC article which contains sections examining the new pope’s relations to the current American administration, something lacking in similar articles about Pope Francis. This shows how the new pope is being publicly expected to be more connected yo American politics by the common media, whereas popes should be removed and impartial.
In the end, despite the unique time America is having right now in the political sphere, electing an American pope is dangerous at any time. Other countries are losing out on an important voice and too much power is at risk of being swayed by US political figures. We can’t recall the election of a pope, but we can speak out against the dangerous merging of political agendas and religious power.
