100 days into the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, it appears that the College of Cardinals selected a pope with two attributes that were previously seen as impossible: An American, and a unifier. While many cardinals said that they wanted someone who could unite sparring factions of the Church, it was a tall task. But Pope Leo XIV, a native of Chicago, has found some early success.
Recent polling from Gallup shows Pope Leo XIV with an astonishing +46% net approval rating among Americans — 35 percentage points higher than the most popular American politician.
Much more research is necessary to fully dissect the reasons for this popularity. A recent National Catholic Register piece points toward Leo’s avoidance of hot-button issues. Some observers note his return to some of the more traditional symbols of the papacy as a way of signaling stability and a commitment to the traditions of the Church. He’s universally known as a good listener, careful thinker, and warm person.
I want to put one more reason on the table today that ties uniquely to the pope’s American heritage: He represents the very best of American pluralism, properly understood.
Pluralism is defined as, “a condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc. coexist.”
One popular approach to ensuring civic pluralism has three components: “Respect, Relate, Cooperate.”
This means respecting the identities that make individuals and groups distinct, relating through mutually inspiring relationships across differences, and cooperating together toward the common good.
This definition is particularly beneficial to Catholic Americans, due to our distinct traditions, cultural practices, and the rich contribution that our doctrines and social teachings provide to society.
Promoting pluralism involves advocating for the rights and belonging of everyone, but it does not require agreement. As Washington University’s John Inazu notes, pluralism is not relativism. Pluralism protects our right and ability to share and live out our truth claims; it does not demand that we abandon them.
While I doubt that Pope Leo is familiar with the “respect, relate, cooperate” framework, the early days of his pontificate have been a textbook expression of it.
For starters, Pope Leo XIV has shown a sharp understanding of the importance of identity — first and foremost among his flock. He has spoken to each group of Jubilee pilgrims about the special gift that they can bring to the Church, and how their Catholic faith can benefit the world. He expresses the doctrines of the Church with care and clarity. At the same time, he has shown respect for other religions by inviting diverse religious leaders to the Vatican for early audiences, and used the Good Samaritan parable to describe that actions of charity can arise from anyone — even people without a religious faith.
The pope has also taken care to be respectful of the way that different Catholics live out their faith. He constantly praises his predecessor, Pope Francis, and has reiterated his commitment to the synodal process that Francis began. At the same time, he has been comfortable emphasizing the doctrines of the faith and has embraced some of the traditional elements of the papacy, including wearing the red mozzetta, moving into the papal residence, and spending time at the summer residence at Castle Gandolfo.
Pope Leo has also recognized the importance of building relationships, especially relationships across lines of difference. In one of his very first speeches, he said, “Now is the time for dialogue and building bridges.”
Vatican News reported, “The Pope went on to note ‘the growing commitment to dialogue and fraternity’ that marks relations between the Catholic Church and Muslims, saying an approach based on ‘mutual respect and freedom of conscience’ is ‘a solid basis for building bridges between our communities.’
His understanding of the relationship between dialogue and doctrine contains unique echoes of the American pluralistic tradition. In a speech to the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation, Pope Leo said that “doctrine” and “dialogue” are not incompatible terms. He noted that dialogue is important to understanding the “signs of the time” and drawing closer to the truth. Doctrine is, “not the same as an opinion, but is rather a common, collective and even multidisciplinary pursuit of truth.”
And, of course, Pope Leo has constantly called for cooperation to tackle the greatest challenges facing our world, including the rise of Artificial Intelligence, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and crises of famine and hunger.
Pope Leo’s approach represents an evolved understanding of pluralism and interfaith cooperation. For too long, “interfaith” was perceived as a call to water down each individual belief in order to come to a common table. But the best approach to pluralism understands and respects — even cherishes — the differences that make each tradition unique, and invites individuals to hold onto their truth claims while working together for the common good.
Pope Leo is finding early success in unifying Catholics (and, as polling suggests, unifying people across belief systems) by inviting everyone to the table while also speaking clearly about the teachings of the Church. By articulating his vision for the positive relationship between doctrine and dialogue, Leo is making space for understanding and cooperation across lines of difference — inside and outside the Church.
In doing so, Pope Leo XIV is representing the best of the pluralistic tradition from the country in which he was born, and the best of the religious tradition that he serves in Rome.
Chris Crawford is a Catholic writer and the Senior Director of Civic Strategies at Interfaith America. His writing has appeared in Our Sunday Visitor, The National Catholic Register, America Magazine, Real Clear Politics, and other religious and secular publications.
