Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 5/9/25
Topics include: Lord, let him be holy, Reporters hopeful & doubtful, Leo to lead a missionary Church, & Pope Leo’s first 30 years
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, The UK Tablet, Catholic News Agency, Crux, Church Life Journal, CatholicVote, Our Sunday Visitor, & Catholic Stand. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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Here’s the Thing
We have a pope! Lord, let him be holy
By Austin Ruse, May 9, 2025
Quick, without looking, tell us the name of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Okay, I looked. Turns out there isn’t one—Sede vacante since January. But everyone cares about the next Pope. Even our Protestant brethren, even most of them who cannot name the Archbishop of Canterbury, care deeply about the next Pope. When Rome is solid, on firm orthodox ground, there is a sense of comfort in the religious world, which our secular friends must know is almost the entire world. The Catholic Church matters. It has mattered since history was split in two and Our Lord founded His Church. As Lenny Bruce used to say, the Catholic Church is the only “the Church.” The world was poised, breathless, giddy, and nervous in St. Peter’s Square or nearby on social media, waiting to see the white smoke and see who stepped out. And here we are. We have a Pope! Lord, let him be Holy.
National Public Radio
NPR reporters hopeful & doubtful Pope Leo will fit the bill
By Brittney Melton, Juliana Kim, & Ayana Archie, May 9, 2025
Leo is known to share some of the same priorities as Francis, particularly when it comes to the environment and outreach to migrants and the poor, according to The College of Cardinals Report, a resource created by a team of Vatican journalists. Even with Pope Leo’s long resume of work, some are not pleased with everything he has done. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse say he didn’t do enough to address the issue, NPR’s Jason DeRose says. The question now is how he will handle victims going forward. He is also being criticized for comments he made about people in the LGBTQ+ community. He spoke out about Peru’s government’s plan to teach about gender in public schools and called the promotion of “gender ideology” confusing. Rev. Robert Hagan, Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, told NPR's All Things Considered that he was a student when he met Pope Leo over dinner. "We are speechless," Hagan said. "Not just for him but for the world."
The UK Tablet
The new Pope said he wants to lead a missionary Church
By Ruth Gledhill, Bess Twiston Davies, & Patrick Hudson, May 8, 2025
Cardinal Robert Prevost OSA has been elected the 267th Pope, taking the name Leo XIV. The American cardinal, who is the first Pope from the United States, is considered a moderate known for his solid judgement and his capacity to listen. The former prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops is aged 69. From his first appearance on the balcony, he decided, unlike Francis, to wear the traditional papal mozzetta. Commentators said this indicated he will balance reform with stability and maintain the emphasis on unity and evangelisation that emerged from the general congregations of the College of Cardinals before the conclave. The Pope said he wanted to lead a missionary and a synodal church that is “close to the people who suffer.”
National Catholic Register
Nearly unbroken tradition of pope taking new name started late
By Matthew McDonald, May 8, 2025
Two hundred sixty-six popes have led the Roman Catholic Church since Jesus of Nazareth founded it around A.D. 33. Mercurius/John II thus became the first pope to pick a new name upon being elected bishop of Rome. (St. Peter, the first pope, also took on a new name (in Matthew 16:17-18), but Jesus picked it for him.) The idea of taking a new name didn’t take root right away, however, and most of John II’s successors during the next 464 years kept their own name after becoming pope. Bruno of Carinthia (in what is now Austria) took the name Gregory V upon being elected pope in 996, starting the nearly unbroken tradition of a pope taking a new name upon election. Almost all popes during the last 1,029 years have followed suit.
For more papal facts, continuing reading this story from Matthew McDonald.
CRUX
Pope Leo invokes Jesus, warns of ‘practical atheism’ in first homily
By Crux Staff, May 9, 2025
In his first homily since his election on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV noted many people today view Jesus Christ as merely “a charismatic leader or superman.” “This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism,” he told in his Mass with the cardinals of the Church in the Sistine Chapel on Friday. “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God: The one Savior, who alone reveals the face of the Father. In him, God, in order to make himself close and accessible to men and women, revealed himself to us in the trusting eyes of a child, in the lively mind of a young person and in the mature features of a man, finally appearing to his disciples after the resurrection with his glorious body,” the new pontiff told the cardinals on Friday.
Our Sunday Visitor
‘With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop’
By Cindy Wooden, May 8, 2025
At his first appearance, the crowd shouted repeatedly, “Viva il papa” or “Long live the pope” as Pope Leo’s eyes appeared to tear up. “Peace be with you,” were Pope Leo’s first words to the crowd. Signaling strong continuity with the papacy of Pope Francis, Pope Leo told the crowd that God “loves all of us unconditionally” and that the church must be open to everyone. Telling the crowd that he was an Augustinian, he quoted St. Augustine, who said, “With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop.” The new bishop of Rome told the people of his diocese and of the whole Catholic Church, “We want to be a synodal church, a church that journeys, a church that seeks peace always, that always seeks charity, that wants to be close to people, especially those who are suffering.” After asking the crowd to recite the Hail Mary with him, Pope Leo gave his first solemn blessing.
The Pillar
Pope Leo opens first homily in English and finishes in Italian
By Luke Coppen, May 9, 2025
The Vatican watcher Rocco Palmo noted that as Pope Leo arrived at the Sistine Chapel the morning after his election, he held a golden ferula, or pastoral staff, made for Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 and seldom used by Pope Francis. The customary first Mass with cardinals in the Sistine Chapel allows the new pope to present the themes at the heart of his pontificate. Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, reflected in his homily on St. Peter the Apostle’s confession of faith in Jesus Christ in Matthew 16:13-19, presenting a strikingly Christological reflection at the start of his new ministry. The Holy See press office announced May 9 that Pope Leo had asked heads and secretaries of Vatican dicasteries to continue in their posts “donec aliter provideatur,” or for the time being. “The Holy Father wishes, in fact, to reserve some time for reflection, prayer and dialogue, before any final appointment or confirmation,” it said.
Vatican News
Pope Leo’s first 30 years, raised as an American Catholic
By Vatican News, May 8, 2025
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, to Louis Marius Prevost, of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martínez, of Spanish descent, 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost has two brothers, Louis Martín and John Joseph. He spent his childhood and adolescence with his family and studied first at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers and then at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where in 1977 he earned a Degree in Mathematics. On September 1, Prevost entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.) in Saint Louis, in the Province of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Chicago, and made his first profession on September 2, 1978. On August 29, 1981, he made his solemn vows. The future Pontiff received his theological education at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. At the age of 27, he was sent by his superiors to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum).
Pillar, CNA & Satire for Friday, May 9, 2025
The Pillar
Pillar Articles for 5/9/25
The Pillar is an American news and investigative journalism website focusing on the Catholic Church. Founded D Flynn, former editor-in-chief of Catholic News Agency and former chancellor of the Archdiocese of Denver; and Ed Condon, former Washington, D.C., bureau editor of Catholic News Agency
There’s only one news item on anyone’s mind this morning: rightly the election of Leo XIV. If you somehow missed our coverage of the moment itself, you can catch it again here. And you can read our pre-conclave profile of the man who became pope here.
To interesting articles: How a good conclave is a lot like the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, and how the art of the Sistine chapel is meant to speak to the cardinals, and what it says, during a conclave.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — May 9, 2025
Catholic News Agency provides reliable and free up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, with updates on the words of the Holy Father and the Holy See.
LIVE UPDATES: First key dates of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate announced - May 9, 2025 - By CNA Staff - The Vatican Press Office releases the official schedule of initial engagements over the coming weeks for Pope Leo XIV.
14 things to know about Pope Leo XIV — the first U.S.-born pope - May 9, 2025 - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - On May 8, as the 266th successor of St. Peter, Pope Leo became the 267th pope and the first from the United States.
Pope Leo XIV to pray Regina Caeli, greet journalists in first engagements after election - May 9, 2025 - By Hannah Brockhaus - Just hours after being elected the Catholic Church’s 267th pontiff, Pope Leo XIV has three appointments on his agenda.
Babylon Bee’s Satire News
Eagle Firing AR-15 Emerges From Vatican Indicating An American Pope Has Been Selected
By Church Staff, May 8, 2022
In an aerial display that delighted millions, the Vatican conclave released a bald eagle firing an AR-15 to signal that an American pope had been selected. Sources say the crowd roared as the majestic eagle soared across the sky and the sweet sounds of 5.56 ammunition cracked in the air. "Yee-haw! We got ourselves a new Pope!" said thousands of Americans, who were also shooting their AR-15s into the air. "USA! USA! USA!" Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who presided over the conclave, said the epic display was mandated by Pope John Paul II in 2002 to prepare for the future possibility of an American pope. "We have been told that Americans enjoy these sorts of things," he said. The newly elected Pope Leo XIV wowed fans by doing burnouts in his Trans-Am popemobile.
Today’s satire is called a two-fer, picking on both the United States and the Vatican. Well, mostly the Vatican’s view of Americans in the United States.
Nutshell reflections for 5/9/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO & VIDEO- May 9, 2025
Friday of the Third Week of Easter
ChurchPOP
Anniversary of the apparitions of Saint Michael the Archangel
By ChurchPop, May 9, 2025
Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8, 2025, on the anniversary of the apparitions of Saint Michael the Archangel on Mount Gargano in Italy. One of his predecessors, Pope Leo XIII, is credited with authoring the powerful prayer for spiritual protection. Saint Michael the Archangel miraculously appeared four times in the same place, therefore dedicating his own basilica, the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo. May 8 is now celebrated in the Catholic Church as the feast of the anniversary of the apparitions of Saint Michael the Archangel. “It is not your task to consecrate the Basilica I built. I who founded it, I myself consecrated it. But you go in and go to this place, placed under my protection.” Bishop Lorenzo, seven Apulian bishops, the Sipontino clergy, and the people of the land proceeded to the sacred mountain.
Catholic Exchange
Mary is Our Mother of Mercy
By Derek Rotty, May 9, 2023
In the Salve Regina (the Hail, Holy Queen, as it begins in English), Mary quickly receives the title, Mother of Mercy. Later in that prayer, we call out to her, admitting that we are “mourning and weeping in this valley of tears,” and we beg her to turn her “eyes of mercy toward us.” During May, especially in this turbulent period of history, I suggest we enhance our devotion to Mary, Mother of Mercy, so that she will intercede on our behalf to her Beloved Son. Merriam-Webster defines it as “a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion,” and “compassionate treatment of those in distress.” In the Hebrew language, this idea is conveyed by the word hesed, and it is often also translated in the Old Testament as “steadfast love” or “steadfast kindness.”
Catholic Weekly
What might Pope Leo XIII tell us about the new pope?
By Dr Philippa Martyr, April 30, 2025
I’ve always had a soft spot for both Leo the Great and Leo XIII. Leo the Great faced down Attila the Hun at the gates of Rome and saved it from immediate sacking. Rome was sacked later, of course, but at least he tried. He also wrote beautiful homilies on the incarnation of Jesus, especially at Christmas time. They turn up in the Divine Office around Christmas and are always soul-stirring. Leo XIII drank lots of cocaine-infused wine and wrote the encyclical Rerum Novarum, which gave the church its first real modern industrial relations platform. The fact that he’s an Augustinian gives me hope. St Augustine’s theological writings form part of the church’s very backbone. And you need English because, whether you like it or not, that’s the new international language. It’s also where a lot of really good contemporary theology has been written and published.
Catholic Stand
Much to learn about the new pope
By Melanie Jean Juneau, May 8, 2025
History’s first American pope mentioned the fact that he is an Augustinian priest but that he is above all a Christian and a bishop, “so we can all walk together”. Pope Leo’s first message to us was in Italian and Spanish, “Peace be with all you”. He added: God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs his light. Let us pray that Pope Leo XIV is the pope the Catholic Church needs in these tumultuous times. For more information on Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost’s background, Catholic Stand suggests the following links:
The Vatican background on Cardinal Prevost
Crux’s papal transition from Cardinal to Pope
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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