One month is not a long time when compared to the Roman Catholic Church’s 2,000 year old history, but when the white smoke cleared and Pope Leo XIV – formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost – stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome one month ago — May 8th — it felt like a momentous change in both world and U.S. history.

Because Pope Leo XIV is the first pontiff born in the United States – the second from the Americas, after his immediate predecessor, Pope Francis – the In Good Faith blog thought it would be appropriate to mark his first month with a guide to understanding who he is, what we have learned about his papacy over the past 30 days, and what that might mean for Unitarian Universalists (UUs).

Who Is Pope Leo XIV?

As mentioned, he was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955. He attended Villanova University, Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and also has a canon law degree from Rome’s Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, otherwise known as the Angelicum. He is a member of the Order of St. Augustine (the Augustinians), was elevated to Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru by Pope Francis in 2014, and then became a Cardinal in 2023. His full biography is available at the Vatican News website.

Both Catholic and mainstream media have looked at Pope Leo’s multiracial identity. The publication Black Catholic Messenger broke the story about his Black ancestry, and you can read more in their story. And for more information on his road to the papacy, please check out the New York Times, who did a deep dive into “How Father Bob Became Pope Leo.”

Is There Meaning in His Name?

Yes, there is. New pontiffs select their papal name to have meaning, both to Catholics and to the general public. In this case, Pope Leo XIV was very explicit about why he chose the name of one of his predecessors, Pope Leo XIII. Leo XIII – whose pontificate was from 1878 to 1903 – is sometimes called the “Pope of the Workers” because of his groundbreaking encyclical Rerum Novarum. That work focused on the rights of labor, and helped established the groundwork for the Catholic social justice tradition.

A few days after he was elected, Pope Leo XIV explained to the Cardinals who selected him for the role why he chose this particular name. Citing Rerum Novarum’s role in providing moral guidance during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, he said, “in our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”

Is Pope Leo XIV Like Pope Francis?

Every Pope is different, just like every Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) president brings their own focus to the role. But Pope Leo, who mentioned Pope Francis in his very first remarks to the people standing in St. Peter’s Square (and to the audience watching around the world), has made it clear that he will carry on some of Pope Francis’ key initiatives. Like Pope Francis, he has talked about building bridges, not walls. Additionally, he made it clear from the first moment of his papacy, when he said “peace be with you all,” that focusing on peacemaking would be a high priority for him. Furthermore, Pope Leo has already begun to focus on the importance of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, holding an ecumenical special audience within the first few weeks of his papacy.

“In a world wounded by violence and conflict, each of the communities represented here brings its own contribution of wisdom, compassion and commitment to the good of humanity and the preservation of our common home,” said Pope Leo XIV at that audience.

What Does His Election Mean to Unitarian Universalists?

The election of a new pope of course doesn’t change anything about how UUs see the world or run our own institutions. And that is how it should be. The UUA is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the founding of the American Unitarian Association this year, and highlighting the deeply important ways that Unitarian Universalism has shaped this nation.

But there are 1.4 billion Catholics around the world and the Catholic Church is one of the single largest Christian denominations in the United States. As such, its influence is significant. The fact that this new pope was born in the United States, speaks fluent English (along with Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese), and understands the history, culture, and traditions of the U.S. means that he will likely have even more of an impact on this nation’s religious landscape. And so, it is important to understand who he is and what we can learn about his papacy.

The Catholic Church does not define itself as a progressive religious denomination, and of course there are places where Unitarian Universalists and the Catholic Church profoundly disagree. But in a world where climate change further threatens already-vulnerable communities, where millions are facing destruction and starvation due to war and military conflict, and where immigrant communities are being treated inhumanely merely because of their status, among other issues, it is important for religious institutions to work cooperatively where we can and where we agree. Like his predecessor, Pope Leo XIV is sending strong signals that he wishes his church to work cooperatively with other religious denominations and institutions to help create a world where the dignity of all people is respected. And as UUs seek to help heal a troubled world, it is good to know where we can find common ground with one of the world’s largest religious bodies.