Cardinal Tobin: Two Popes, One in Christ

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

Today, May 8, is the one-year anniversary of the election of our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV. Just 12 months ago, the Holy Spirit blessed us with a successor to Saint Peter who would shepherd our Church, the flock entrusted to him by the Good Shepherd, and help all Christians continue the mission we received at our baptism: to be missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.

One year into the pontificate of Leo XIV, we can begin to see the many ways God has blessed us with this new pope. There is evident continuity with the major initiatives of his predecessor, Pope Francis. But there is also a pastoral leadership style unique to Pope Leo. That is as it should be. Continuity and originality complement each other and help us understand what is most important in the ministry of one called to be both a source of unity in the Church and a prophetic witness to the Gospel Truth in the world.

Earlier this year, I was invited to give a talk at Seton Hall University on the pontificates of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV. In my reflections, I identified what I consider to be three major themes of Pope Francis that our new Holy Father has embraced and is carrying forward in his own way. These themes are: 1) God’s abundant mercy, 2) Care for the environment (“Our Common Home”), and 3) Synodality. These three themes were central to the thoughts and actions of Pope Francis during his 12 years as pope. Now, Pope Leo XIV has embraced mercy, stewardship of our common home, and synodality. In his first year as pope, he has made it clear that he will continue to emphasize the importance of these themes in the Church and in society.

Another consistent theme of Pope Francis (and, indeed, of all recent popes) is peace. Pope Leo XIV greeted us a year ago with our Lord’s words to his disciples: “Peace be with you all!” (In Italian: “Pace a tutti voi!”). He immediately followed this by saying, “Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for the flock of God.”

A year later, it is clear that Pope Leo takes this greeting seriously and that he will not stop speaking about peace as long as incivility, violence, and war continue to oppress the lives of millions of people across diverse regions of the world.

Continue reading Cardinal Tobin’s latest newsletter.