The new Pope’s choice of the name, Leo, is intriguing for multiple reasons. Yes, it was a Pope Leo who famously stared down Atilla the Hun, and the most recent Pope Leo authored the Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer, as well as the Prayer to Saint Joseph. But perhaps most significantly, Pope Leo XIII steered the office into a new era in which Church hierarchy performed a diminished role in civic governance and instead focused on moral teaching and spiritual leadership. In a country that had been settled by those seeking religious liberty and that had been built to spread and defend the blessings of religious liberty, the rise of American greatness was premised on the faithful citizenship of Americans and their commitment to a virtuous republic.
As America has lost its way in recent decades, confusion that has reigned. Too many of the laity have coveted the role of the priesthood instead of bringing their faith to bear on civic life. Even larger segments of the laity have elevated political ideologies into pseudo-religious false idols. 

Meanwhile, too many of the ordained hierarchy failed to address difficult social issues with moral clarity, or proved disinterested in a life of prayer and self-discipline. Instead of rejoicing in their role in making the sacramental life available and in speaking with authority and clarity about intrinsic evils — matters on which the faithful may not disagree — too many priests, including many Bishops, have instead coveted the responsibilities of the laity. It is the laity who are called to apply their own areas of competence with respect to prudential matters on which reasonable persons may in good faith disagree. 

Most infamously, the country’s confusion has now reached a point where not only do women covet the role of men and men covet the role of women, but an alarmingly significant portion of society has been fooled into believing biological and spiritual realities are mere social constructs of no true consequence.

As a result, many in the American flock have been easy targets of the wolves that thrive on chaos. And what used to be described as the “Religious Right”, “Christian Coalition”, or the “Catholic Vote” has lost much of its meaning. Pollsters continue to claim that each presidential election was won by the person who secured the “Catholic Vote”, but no model of truly faithful citizenship could support an unabashedly pro-abortion candidate over a candidate who had nominated three Supreme Court justices promising to restore jurisprudential integrity (and thus the promise of state discretion to restrict abortion). Sadly, Joe Biden served four years (such as it was) in the White House notwithstanding his scandalous commitment to maximizing the murderous reach of the abortion industry, all the while asserting that he was a “practicing Catholic”. 

Too many of the Church hierarchy were silent with respect to the scandal of a pro-abortion politician claiming he was a devout Catholic. Many of these same bishops exacerbated the problem by being highly critical of public policies — such as immigration restrictions — that are more prudential in nature. On such issues, it is the duty of the civically engaged laity to debate, deliberate, and determine a reasonable approach informed by multiple meritorious perspectives and by competing concerns. 

Pope Leo XIV has an opportunity to restore clarity with respect to the distinct and valuable roles of the laity and clergy, of men and women. Pray that he will begin by exemplifying a priesthood committed to teaching with moral authority and clarity regarding intrinsic evil, and by deferring to the civically engaged laity in the prudential decision making in areas of public policy more open to broader debate. Pray that he will urge his fellow priests to reinvigorate their commitments to making the sacramental life fully available. Pray that he will urge a return to reverent and robust participation in the sacramental life, because a return to American greatness will never be realized absent a renewal of the commitment to faithfulness.

If Pope Leo XIV chose his name because he intends to combat the confusion that has reigned, terms like the “Christian Coalition”, “Religious Right”, and the “Catholic Vote” may become consequential again. That would be a critical step forward in restoring a virtuous America, and it is the sort of greatness to which we should aspire.