The Real Value of Pope Leo’s Americanness

In the United States, of course, the Catholic Church has always operated like this: without state power, amid a variety of other religious options, often fighting for its survival. Though many of us are still reeling from the sheer improbability of Leo XIV’s election as the first American pope, the significance of his Americanness transcends the bare fact of his election. What would once have been considered his uniquely American experience of the faith — as something voluntary, improvised, provisional — has now become the default condition of Catholic life worldwide. In this respect, his origins could prove to be among his greatest assets in leading the church.