Things for Pope Leo XIV to Address in Papacy

May 8th, 2025, will be a date that will live in infamy. The Catholic Church elected her first Holy Father from the United States.

With Pope Leo XIV beginning his first full day as the 267th successor of St. Peter, it is now to get to work. His holiness has much to do and potentially a mess to clean up from his predecessor

Carlo Acutis Canonization

Blessed Carlo Acutis’s canonization was slated to take place on April 27th of this year, but it was postponed due to the passing of Pope Francis. The first thing that must be done is to set the date. Perhaps he wouldn’t mind sharing a canonization with Blessed Pier Frassati, which is in July.

Reviving the West

Fulton Sheen once warned about what was going to happen to the United States. He said, “Western Civilization is not just suffering from a famine of spiritual values; it is not even caring about them.  It is now seeking to stuff itself with the husks of the secular, the economic, the political, the worldly.  This new thing which no longer is concerned with the soul, but with the belly, is a philosophy of life which mobilizes souls for economic and secular ends, a Ceasarism or adoration of the State, a glorification of the human collective through the depersonalization of man, and a suffocation of human personality and its subsequent absorption into the mass.”

With Pope Leo XIV coming from the United States, he must be a beacon for not just the United States but for the whole world. Yes, he may be the first pope from the United States, yet he is the pope for all Catholics. His papacy will no doubt revive Christian values in America and likely give Protestant America a stroke. America has long had seeds of Catholicism planted from Christopher Columbus to the heroic Jesuits martyred by the Hurons and others far in between. Only time will tell.

Courageously Defend Church Teachings

The Catholic Church has been under attack for years. All because many perceive what the church should be.

Pope Leo XIV must swim against the tide of many things his predecessor stood against. He must courageously lead the church and the world through his witness.

The pope was a critic of gender ideology during his time in Peru. He even ran a pro-life club at Villanova University while in formation with the Augustinians.

He must continue to be a courageous witness to church teachings.

Defrock Heretical Clergy

Part of the reason the church is under attack is due to the moral confusion brought about by many members of the clergy.

He must remove those who refuse to promote and defend the true church. He puts it well, “A bishop, therefore, has to have many skills. He has to know how to govern, to administer, to organize, and to know how to deal with people. But if I had to point out one trait above all others, it is that he must proclaim Jesus Christ.”

Raise Up Holy and Faithful Shepherds

It is no coincidence that his election to the papacy comes on the cusp of Good Shepherd Sunday. We can only hope and pray that faithful shepherds are raised up. We need more courageous shepherds to lead the flock to heaven on a local level. 

We need those that are willing to stand the tide of modernism. We need more boldness from our clergy to preach the truth without waver. We need shepherds who are willing to obey God rather than man.  

Raise Up More Holy Men and Women to Sainthood

There's no doubt that there are more heroic examples of men and women who should be raised to the altars of sainthood. Some have been stalled. Others are so close to completion. Maybe he will canonized holy men and women from the United States like Fulton Sheen and Father Michael McGivney or open the cause of canonization of Mother Mary Angelica. 

Pope Leo XIV is going to hit the ground running, no doubt. He will need our sacrifices and prayers.

I encourage all Catholics to pray for him and make sacrifices for him to ensure that his papacy is holy and faithful.