The selection of Pope Leo XIV as the new head of the Catholic Church is encouraging because of his call for “missionary outreach,” building bridges of understanding, and his identification with “ordinary people.” As the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics globally, Leo can call for peace and justice, seek harmony between leaders, and invite people to faith in God.
Leo XIV understands the encroachment of current world values on those who seek to be faithful. In the context of power, wealth, and technology, Leo accurately said that some see the Christian faith as “absurd.”1 But without faith, Leo stated, comes a loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, violations of human dignity, and many other human wounds. These are profound thoughts from a global leader of the Christian faith.
When the Vatican announced his selection, the world slowed to consider matters of faith and religion. For a time, the news cycles wrote and spoke about faith, equity, and human dignity. These give us hope in our world today.
Recently, Anabaptist leaders from sixteen countries across the Americas met in Cusco, Peru, to mark the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism.2 Indigenous congregations from Peru and Ecuador participated. Pope Leo XIV has long been a missionary in Peru, and we applaud the new pontiff’s missionary spirit and work. May God bless his holy work as he seeks to build bridges between people and groups in the twenty-first century.