Michael Matt’s first personal interaction with Cardinal Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV came a couple of years ago in Rome when Michael was covering the Synodality Synod., Yes, the cardinal seems to think Synodality has a place in the church, but no, he does not seem to want it to crush two thousand years of Catholic tradition.
On May 14 Pope Leo XIV met with representatives of the Eastern Catholic churches. In his speech to the assembly he spoke of the beauty and variety of the Eastern Rites, prompting many traditionalists to hope that he might provide the same papal balance to the question of the Latin Mass. “Indeed,” he said, “Pope Leo XIII made a heartfelt appeal that the ‘legitimate variety of Eastern liturgy and discipline… may redound to the great honor and benefit of the Church’ (Orientalium Dignitas). His desire remains ever timely.”
Almost a week after his acceptance, Pope Leo is inevitably already sparking discussions in media outlets around the world. Maintaining a balanced perspective, it is fair to say that it is still too early to offer a historical or even theological interpretation of his pontificate. However, we can gradually highlight some indicative details of his ecclesiastical leadership that have already emerged in these first few days.
In his May 10th meeting with Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV spoke of how he intended to continue taking the path “that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.” This comes as no surprise because few Cardinals in the conclave that elected Leo XIV would have had any desire to support a man who intended to entirely abandon the Council.
Pope Leo XIV addressed the world press form the loggia on May 11, including a call for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine, humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza, and release of hostages. The text is below:
Pope Leo on Women Priests and Synodality
Although some Catholics have already voiced concerns with the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, we can at least recognize that there were several other cardinals receiving serious consideration who have been far more ostentatious in their anti-Catholicism. Time will tell whether Leo XIV will accelerate or reverse the evils plaguing the Church, but in these early days we can at least hope and pray that he will cooperate with God’s grace. For now, one of the most charitable and useful responses to his election is to recall the holy wisdom from Pope Leo XIII, which we pray he will follow.
A Prayer for the New Pope, from the Irish Clans
Cardinal Robert F. Prevost has been elected Pope on the fourth ballot — A swift outcome, as many had anticipated, though not for him. What should we expect? It was said that there would not be another South American pope, yet here we are: a Peruvian, if not by birth, then certainly by formation and adoption. He appears to be a kind pope, a diplomat. Three guiding principles define him: unity within the Church, peace in the world, and social justice. However, he also carries significant vulnerabilities that could be exploited by those hostile to Christ.
Michael Matt’s brief comment on the night that Cardinal Robert Prevost became Pope Leo XIV.
May 8, 2025. “Habemus Papam,” declared Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti from the central loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica, following the ringing of bells at the same basilica. Robert Prevost, previously a Cardinal, emerged on the balcony of Saint Peter’s as the new Pope, taking Leo XIV as his papal name.
Our blind loyalty to the Israeli state has led us to become complicit in their aggression, both against the Palestinians whose homes they have taken, and against the other states in the region. We will be held accountable for this. We will be judged by God, and our children will continue to suffer the consequences of our participation in unjust wars.
In this Conclave Report from Rome, Michael J. Matt reports on the implications of black smoke on the first day of the Conclave. What does it mean? The Cardinal electors all turned in their cell phones today, severed all connections with the outside world, and took an oath to do their duty as princes of the Catholic Church.
On May 7, as cardinals gather for the Papal Conclave to elect the next Pope, the world (both Catholics and unbelievers alike) watch with bated breath as to who will eventually emerge as the successor of the great Apostle St. Peter.
On the night before the Conclave to elect the 267th successor of Saint Peter, Michael J. Matt walks in the shadows of St. Peter’s Basilica, begging the Cardinal electorates to grant us a truly Catholic vicar of Christ on earth.
Nothing is more important than prayer. Saints or sinners, penitents or those troubled by the assaults of temptation—we are all urgently invited to pray without ceasing. For sincere prayer necessarily involves that virtue which is the golden bond and foundation of all other virtues: humility.
Cardinals make last appeal for peace in Israel and Ukraine before Conclave begins
In this RTV Conclave Report, Michael J. Matt reports the latest news from Rome, and then concludes with an impassioned plea to the more moderate Cardinal electors, begging them to remember the promises of their Baptism and to listen not to the radical “progressives” who would “reform” the Church into oblivion, but rather to the Tradition-leaning conservatives who, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, would make the Church Catholic again.
Just days before the Conclave, Giuliano Di Bernardo—an influential Freemason and former Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Italy—makes a seemingly sensational endorsement of Cardinal Parolin. However, his support now risks backfiring. Is this truly naivety? Furthermore, he raises the possibility that Bergoglio may have been a Freemason.
Pope Francis, who famously advocated “making a mess,” applied that maxim to his pontificate, making it highly disruptive, divisive and tumultuous. The mess generated much understandable unease, consternation and, at times, disgust, especially as such a deliberate approach to governance has never been consistent with the Catholic faith, the common good, Divine Revelation, and the natural law.
FSSPX News posted an article on May 1, 2025, entitled “At the ‘Media Conclave,’ Cardinal Müller Speaks Out,” in which the Cardinal’s vital role in the Conclave is succinctly laid out, and which dovetails with Michael Matt’s recent RTV Conclave Report SEDE VACANTE: Do Conservative Cardinals at the Conclave Matter?
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s delayed and muted response to Pope Francis’s death is telling of the regime’s attitude towards the Catholic Church. In the hours following Pope Francis’ passing, Chinese state media provided nominal coverage (that could be contrasted with the global outpouring of tribute and critiques from those on the Left and on the Right). In fact, it took the CCP regime almost 24 hours to respond to news of the pontiff’s passing, and it did so only when asked during a regular news conference at its foreign ministry.
Francis’ pontificate was a prolonged penance that presided over a plethora of church closings, declining baptisms, confirmations, marriages, Mass attendance, and a precipitous drop in priestly ordinations.
For centuries, the Catholic Church has asked St. Athanasius’ intercession for defense against heresies and errors that threaten to undermine the True Faith. In particular during this interregnum period of Holy Mother Church (before the upcoming papal conclave on May 7), faithful Catholics can rely on St. Athanasius’ powerful intercession to beg Almighty God for a truly Catholic pope who will reinforce Catholic orthodoxy as revealed by Jesus Christ Himself.
