Continuity the key to Pope seen as a unifier

The fact that the conclave was over suggests quickly that from the start a significant number of votes from the mood cardinals thought that Robert Prevost was best equipped to take on the challenges with which a Pope is confronted.

In the run -up to the elections – during the formal meetings of cardinals and the informal dinners and coffee they had to discuss, the type of person they were looking for – it was clear that two words continued to come up, “continuity” and “unity”.

There was a recognition among many that Pope Francis had started something enormously impactful, by making contact with those who live in the margin of society, to the periphery of the Catholic world and also for those who are outside of faith.

There was appreciation for his aim to become a voice for the voices and to concentrate on the poor and those whose destination was not in their own hands.

But there was also a feeling that work had to be done to resolve the (sometimes very public) splits between those of different ways of thoughts within the Kerkhierarchy, often characterized as traditionalist and progressive.

In that context, Robert Prevost’s name began to be spoken as a serious competition. If someone supported Pope Francis behind the scenes, but who could still consider different factions as one of them.

But the judicial cardinals were instructed by the church not only to consider what the institution and Catholic believers needed, but also what humanity needed at a difficult moment, with war and division the background.

Again, Cardinal Prevost -the US -Peruvian Dual National, which was spoken as a feeling like at home with his North American colleagues like he was with Latin -American colleagues -was seen as someone who could connect, as pope, different worlds.

Pope Francis was sometimes criticized because he had no ability to win more allies in the US about the great issues of migration, climate change and inequality, due to a disconnection when understanding the most effective ways to communicate his arguments to them.

For those who had in mind that the primary requirement of a new pope was a capacity to bring “continuity” and “unity”, during his speech on the balcony of St. Peter, Leo XIV gave strong indications why the cardinals chose him.

In his conversation about “building bridges” and people worldwide “one people” he were echoes of Pope Francis and also spoke full unity.

His past will be investigated heavily in these early days. His political views investigated, his track record about dealing with abuse and decorated his comments over the years about social issues.

Much of this is already in the public domain, so it can only be assumed that the card voters had the feeling that there was nothing enough consequence to hinder his ability to hinder the Catholic Church and to be the global moral voice they were looking for.

Huge challenges are for us. But with resolution after just four conclusion voices, he starts with a strong mandate of the men he needs the most because of his papacy.