Conservatives are cautiously hopeful that Pope Leo XIV will restore rigor to the papacy

VATICAN CITY – They went into past week's conclave vastly outnumbered and smarting aft being sidelined by Pope Francis for 12 years.

And yet conservatives and traditionalist Catholics are cautiously optimistic implicit the historical predetermination of Pope Leo XIV, hopeful that helium volition instrumentality doctrinal rigor to the papacy, adjacent arsenic progressives consciousness helium volition proceed Francis’ reformist agenda.

Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, a titan of the blimpish bloc, said Monday helium was precise pleased with the predetermination and expected that Leo would heal the divisions that escalated during Francis’ pontificate. Mueller, who was fired by Francis arsenic the Vatican’s doctrinal chief, suggested arsenic a archetypal measurement that Leo would reconstruct entree to the aged Latin Mass that his predecessor had greatly restricted.

“I americium convinced that helium volition flooded these superfluous tensions (which were) damaging for the church,” Mueller said successful an interrogation with The Associated Press. “We cannot debar each the conflicts, but we person to debar the not indispensable conflicts, the superfluous conflicts.”

His consciousness of anticipation is significant, fixed that blimpish cardinals went into the conclave astatine a numerical disadvantage. Francis appointed 108 of the 133 electors, including the erstwhile Cardinal Robert Prevost and different pastors successful his image.

But successful the concealed dynamics of the conclave, the Augustinian missionary who spent astir of his priestly beingness successful Peru secured acold more than the two-thirds bulk needed connected the 4th ballot successful an exceptionally quick, 24-hour conclave. The velocity and borderline defied expectations, fixed that this was the largest, most geographically diverse conclave successful past and the cardinals hardly knew each other.

“I deliberation it was a bully content of him to everybody, and successful the extremity it was a large concordia, a large harmony,” Mueller said. “There was nary polemics, nary fractionizing.”

Speaking successful an interrogation successful his flat room conscionable disconnected St. Peter's Square, Mueller said Francis’ crackdown connected traditionalists and the aged Mass created unnecessary divisions that Leo knows helium indispensable heal.

Pope Benedict XVI had loosened restrictions connected celebrations of the Latin Mass, which was utilized for centuries earlier the modernizing reforms of the 1960s Second Vatican Council, which allowed the liturgy to beryllium celebrated successful the vernacular. Francis reversed Benedict's signature liturgical legacy, saying the dispersed of the Latin Mass had created divisions successful dioceses. But the crackdown had the effect of galvanizing Francis' blimpish foes.

“We cannot perfectly condemn oregon forbid the morganatic close and signifier of the Latin liturgy,” Mueller said. “According to his character, I deliberation (Leo) is capable to talk with radical and to find a precise bully solution that is bully for everybody.”

Mueller is not unsocial successful his optimism.

Benedict’s longtime secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, who besides was fired by Francis and exiled from the Vatican, said helium was pleasantly amazed by Leo's predetermination and hopeful for the future.

In an interrogation with Corriere della Sera, Gaenswein said the caller pontiff's prime of his name, referencing Pope Leo XIII, who led the religion from 1878-1903, arsenic good arsenic Leo the Great and different popes, sent a awesome that helium would respect tradition, reconstruct doctrinal clarity and pacify divisions.

“Pope Prevost gives maine large hope,” Gaenswein was quoted arsenic saying.

In paper stories, societal media posts, TV interviews and backstage conversations among friends, immoderate of Francis’ astir vocal critics besides are sounding cautiously optimistic, rejoicing implicit immoderate of the smallest — but to them important — gestures.

They liked that Leo work a written connection erstwhile helium emerged from the conclave connected the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, alternatively than improvise. They liked that his archetypal words referenced Jesus Christ. They loved that helium decided to deterioration the ceremonial reddish cape, oregon mozzetta, of the papacy, which they viewed arsenic a amusement of respect for the bureau that Francis had eschewed.

Another plus: He sang the noontime Regina Caeli Latin supplication connected Sunday, alternatively of reciting it.

Many constituent to the information that 1 evening earlier the conclave began, Prevost was seen entering the flat of Cardinal Raymond Burke, different tradition-minded cardinal whom Francis fired arsenic the Vatican’s ultimate tribunal chief. Burke would person played the relation of a “kingmaker” successful the conclave, rallying blimpish votes down a peculiar candidate.

Asked if helium voted for Prevost, Mueller demurred.

“Oh, I cannot say. But I americium content, no?” helium replied.

And yet Prevost besides pleased moderates, with galore seeing successful his archetypal words a continuation of Francis’ priorities to physique bridges. The buzzwords awesome to immoderate a pope who reaches retired to the LGBTQ+ assemblage and radical of different faiths. But to others, it is the literal meaning of “pontifex” and a motion of interior bridge-building to heal divisions.

“The pope, arsenic successor of St. Peter, has to unite the church," Mueller said.

Mueller said helium expected Leo would determination into the papal apartments astatine the Apostolic Palace, which helium said was the due spot for a pope. Francis chose to unrecorded successful the Vatican’s Domus Santa Marta edifice due to the fact that helium said helium needed to beryllium astir people. But the determination had the applicable effect of taking implicit the full 2nd level of the hotel, reducing rooms for visiting priests.

Part of the dynamic astatine play successful these aboriginal days of Leo's papacy is that it appears progressives and conservatives tin spot successful Leo what they want. He has virtually nary published history, and played his cards precise adjacent to his vest portion successful Rome arsenic caput of the Vatican’s bishops office. He granted fewer interviews and shied distant from the nationalist appearances that capable Vatican cardinals’ days aft hours: publication presentations, conferences and world lectures.

George Weigel, the biographer of St. John Paul II and elder chap astatine the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said Leo's doctrinal presumption should beryllium self-evident: that “a antheral who spent a batch of his beingness successful the Peruvian missions believes successful the information of the Gospel and the information of the world.”

As for the papal cape and stole, it means “we person a pope who understands the quality of the Petrine Office, which should not beryllium bent to idiosyncratic idiosyncrasies,” Weigel said successful an email.

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