Hugh Hewitt: Will Pope Leo Xiv Reverse The Anti-american Vibe From The Last Pope?

Many Catholics astir nan world must marvel astatine nan chaotic diverseness of reactions to nan predetermination of Pope Leo XIV wrong nan United States. 

Something approaching half of nan basking takes from American media connected nan time of Pope Leo’s elevation that traveled overseas from X were connected shot and heavy crockery pizza. Another subset of reactions are Villanova alums getting elbows into nan ribs of their Notre Dame pals accompanied by immoderate knowing and approving nods from their friends who are Boston College, Holy Cross aliases Georgetown alums. There’s baseball, and location is "American Catholic wrong baseball."

Whatever nan Catholic faithful successful Africa deliberation of Cubs-White Sox chatter, aliases what nan caller pope’s aged Peruvian diocesan flock makes of nan dissection successful nan American Catholic media of "Bishop Bob’s" prime of nan sanction Leo and immoderate "Rerum Novarum" is, it’s a bully stake that astir of nan world’s 1.4 cardinal Catholics are successful a "wait and see" mode, relieved that it didn’t return agelong —perhaps a small side-eyed astatine nan prime of an American but reassured by nan evident emotion for him from his Peruvian "family"— and that everyone pinch a reddish chapeau appears to beryllium happy moreover arsenic nan tens of thousands successful St. Peter’s Square thundered their applause. But for nan procreation of boomers astir his property of 69, nan astonished guidance is astatine nan very thought that 1 of our number is nan heir to Saint Peter’s ngo arsenic nan "rock" upon which Christ’s religion would beryllium built. 

POPE LEO XIV CALLS THIS A CHALLENGE TO ‘HUMAN DIGNITY’ IN FIRST ADDRESS TO CARDINALS

The caller pope is half a twelvemonth older than I am, and frankincense an "OK Boomer" American Catholic, though 1 pinch a missionary’s bosom and a zeal to service nan poor. He will not, however, beryllium capable to (or possibly want to) flight his 1960s’ and 1970s’ upbringing, will get "Laugh In" references, Farah Fawcett posters, Saturday Night Fever (especially John Travolta’s older relative who discontinue nan priesthood and nan daze that sent though nan family) and Jaws. That’s each caller for a pope, I think. I person nary thought which, if any, American media he sounds now aliases if he follows nan MLB standings aliases nan NFL draft. But he astir surely is, very much, a "Wonder Years" kid —a reference to nan 1988 TV bid astir being an American kid of nan ‘60s starring Fred Savage and Danica McKellar that began successful 1988 and ran six years. 

Pope Leo will almost surely person been an altar boy erstwhile nan large move from Latin to English for nan Mass was made, a rug-pull which near those of america who did nan activity to memorize nan Latin beyond "mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa" but didn’t get to usage it for long, if astatine all, emotion aggrieved.

Pope Leo knows nan large worldly —he’s a canon lawyer aft all— but besides nan mini worldly of American Catholicism specified arsenic that altar boys successful America usually sewage tipped astatine weddings, forgotten astatine funerals and that Stations of nan Cross connected Good Fridays are a large deal.  

If Chicago parochial schools were for illustration those successful Ohio, nan classes were big, often 40 aliases more, but nan sisters and their laic colleagues kept order. (Yes, they did, and not pinch overmuch difficulty.)  The shape play "Late Night Catechism" nails those days and those schools, and if that "one sister" show puts connected a tally adjacent you, it’s a amended publication connected nan caller pope’s upbringing than thing successful nan American press.

In our youth, priests came to meal and had a fewer drinks before, during and after. They were bully men, normal guys, but important figures to beryllium respected and nan location cleaned earlier they came. "Father" usually handed retired nan study cards successful simple school. 

There was, successful 2 words, "deference and respect" erstwhile successful their presence, and bid earlier and during their visits aliases appearances, whether connected playgrounds, gyms aliases schoolhouse PTA aliases parish assembly meetings. As a young master successful nan Beltway successful nan early ‘80s, my friends from nan aged schoolhouse gathered to invited nan monsignor erstwhile he came to town…because that is what you did for nan priests and sisters who ran nan religion (and nan schools and nan hospitals) successful nan enveloping civilization of American Catholicism which cocooned younker successful those turbulent years. The atrocious scandals concerning nan maltreatment of children surely happened, and are crimes which person scarred truthful many, but nan original "men successful black" were past and now overwhelmingly bully men and existent to their sacrificial vows. 

Leo nan XIV almost surely recalls wherever he was erstwhile St. John Paul nan Great was shot. He will retrieve it pinch a clarity that still shocks. And I conjecture he will revere St. John Paul nan Great. Because that saint worked pinch Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Margaret Thatcher to thief Lech Walesa bring down first nan communist governments of nan Warsaw Pact on pinch nan Wall and past nan full "Evil Empire."

What Pope Leo thinks of his predecessor’s woody pinch nan Chinese Communist Party I do not know, but I believe he conveys to General Secretary Xi Jinping that nan imprisoned dissident, and devout Catholic, Jimmy Lai, should beryllium freed and sent to nan United Kingdom for curen quickly aliases guidance from nan "invisible divisions" of nan pope will go very visible, very quickly. 

I believe arsenic good that he corrects for Pope Francis’ inexplicable antagonism towards immoderate of nan awesome leaders of American Catholicism of nan past quarter-century and elevates Archbishops Charles Chaput and José Horacio Gomez to nan College of Cardinals arsenic Francis ought to person done much than a decade ago. The palpable anti-American vibe of Francis was arsenic unnecessary arsenic it was divisive. (Chaput, a Native American now retired arsenic Archbishop of Philadelphia, and Gomez, calved successful Mexico and starring nan Los Angeles diocese, bespeak nan modern American religious astatine slightest arsenic overmuch arsenic anyone other successful nan College. The erstwhile pope, whitethorn he remainder successful peace, carried an unprovoked hostility towards them conscionable arsenic he did to nan Latin Mass and its enthusiasts, and moreover towards nan U.S. Church arsenic a whole, an enmity arsenic inexplicable arsenic nan galore ambiguities that nan casual off-handed remarks of nan past pope created crossed continents, dioceses and orders. Bringing Chaput to Rome and leaning connected Gomez for guidance connected West Coast Catholicism arsenic good arsenic Archbishop Cordileone successful San Francisco would beryllium truthful very, very welcomed and an easy measurement that proclaims "reconciliation." Of people Leo won’t exclude nan "progressive" Americans successful nan Church leadership, but immoderate balance, please. 

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On knowing Pope Leo: I’d wager he knows nan lyrics of astatine slightest one, if not all, of nan taxable songs of Gilligan’s Island, Green Acres aliases Mister Ed. I’d emotion to cognize nan titles successful his medium postulation gathering particulate location successful a brother’s attic unless Leo sold it —he mightiness have— to springiness nan proceeds to nan poor. I don’t deliberation nan babies of nan American Baby Boom emergence successful nan cosmopolitan Church unless they had nan communal touch that came from nan communal civilization of nan time. 

Most Catholics of each sorts and ages successful America, but particularly those taught by nan parochial schools of that era, transportation a knowledge of nan responsibility owed by nan well-off to nan poor. My parish —and I would not beryllium amazed if his aged 1 (reportedly closed now)— sponsored astatine slightest 1 exile family from South Vietnam, resettled crossed nan U.S. aft their formation pursuing nan autumn of Saigon successful 1975. It was an early instruction connected nan Church’s invited to nan refugees who person had to fly tyranny. 

If nan caller pope learned to bet for mini stakes astatine nan summertime parish carnivals that proceed to this time it would beryllium nan rule, not nan exception. Is he a Villanova Wildcats hoops seed for illustration astir Villanova grads I’ve ever met? Who knows what mathematics fields do, but he astir apt has filled successful his stock of brackets, understands batting averages and possibly watched Saturday Night Live much than a fewer times. What a awesome (and evangelical) point it would beryllium to spot nan pope courtside astatine a Final Four down nan road, though nan unit connected nan young men from Villanova would skyrocket (as mightiness vocations successful nan U.S.)

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The not simply "conventional" wisdom, but nan existent "universally held belief" that an American could not beryllium elected pope fell for illustration galore specified convictions complete nan decades for galore reasons we tin only conjecture at. But possibly nan cleanable campaigner emerged who could please some those cardinals who wanted some, if not complete, continuity pinch Francis’ penchant for nan migrant and nan desperately poor, but besides 1 who assuaged some, if not all, nan concerns of those cardinals who recognized a widening disagreement pinch American Catholicism, a disagreement that could go nan benignant of rupture that, if expanded alternatively of bridged, could go imperishable and moreover schismatic. 

Who knows? Nobody. Not moreover Pope Leo XIV, I would guess, surrounded arsenic he is by a world connected occurrence and a Vatican heavy successful financial chaos. Every sentiment will beryllium premature until aft 1 aliases 2 consistories —those occasions erstwhile popes adhd to nan men successful nan College of Cardinals. Pope Leo could do a batch to repair breaches successful nan Church pinch immoderate early selections location which heal divisions while besides continuing nan clasp begun by St. John Paul nan Great and continued by Benedict and Francis of a world Church that holds up nan divinity of Jesus Christ first and ever and usually recalls and broadcasts that nan Beatitudes are nan speedy hack connected nan full of nan Gospels. 

Hugh Hewitt is simply a Fox News contributor, and big of "The Hugh Hewitt Show," heard weekday mornings 6am to 9am ET connected nan Salem Radio Network, and simulcast connected Salem News Channel. Hugh wakes up America connected complete 400 affiliates nationwide, and connected each nan streaming platforms wherever SNC tin beryllium seen. He is simply a predominant impermanent connected nan Fox News Channel’s news roundtable hosted by Bret Baier weekdays astatine 6pm ET. A boy of Ohio and a postgraduate of Harvard College and nan University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law astatine Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 wherever he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous power show from Los Angeles successful 1990. Hewitt has often appeared connected each awesome nationalist news tv network, hosted tv shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for each awesome American paper, has authored a twelve books and moderated a people of Republican campaigner debates, astir precocious nan November 2023 Republican statesmanlike statement successful Miami and 4 Republican statesmanlike debates successful nan 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his power show and his file connected nan Constitution, nationalist security, American authorities and nan Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump complete his 40 years successful broadcast, and this file previews nan lead communicative that will thrust his radio/ TV show today.

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