Pope Leo IVX--First American Pope

First things first. Since we all watched Conclave, we have some idea of the politics that were at work in the conclave that took place this week. If you missed the movie in the run up to the Oscars, you could watch it between Pope Francis' funeral and today. The debate around where the next pope would lie in terms of church doctrine and direction as well as where he would hail from were widely discussed. In terms of politics, the choice was more non-commital than decisive, and an American was a bit of a surprise. Some things to say--first, he is not that American. He lived in Peru for decades and has Peruvian citizenship. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian, so he can speak to much of the world's Catholics. Second, he is in N ugustinian order, meaning that he is not all about pomp and circumstance, he thinks all humans walk together, and he has a commitment to the poor. Third, he has a math and science education, and he has good leadership experience, and he might be smart. He is seen as a unifier and while not necessarily rooting for the church, it would be good for it not to go downhill and for it to mend fences. Lastly, he told Vance that he did not know what the hell he was talking about when he talked about Jesus--it was obvious to anyone who has read the New Testament that Vance was more in line with Pontious Pilate that Jesus, but it is good that the next pontiff let everyone who was in doubt know what he thought. So, not a terrible choice, it seems, and a quick decision to boot.