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The Forum > Article Comments > White smoke and speculation: the election of Pope Leo XIV > Comments

White smoke and speculation: the election of Pope Leo XIV : Comments

By Binoy Kampmark, published 12/5/2025

The one rare occasion in the twenty-first century where ancient ceremony, the old boy network – many presumptive virgins – along with festive dressing up, were seen with admiration rather than suspicion.

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The Catholic Church:
A superstitious quagmire of multiculturalism: Amazing what money can buy, silence being the pinnacle of achievement.

A platform given over to the debauched Democrats, now headed by a turncoat Pope, masquerading as a Republican, unable to hide his hatred of Donald Trump; the game is up before it even starts!
Posted by diver dan, Monday, 12 May 2025 8:08:21 AM
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Caught in the act: Life behind the Papal curtain!

http://vetob.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Grill-Tools-with-a-Naughty-Twist.jpg
Posted by diver dan, Monday, 12 May 2025 8:41:58 AM
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A sad article - with even worse comments! Here's something you may not know about this man, Robert Prevost, now the 267th Pope - Leo XIV:

In 1975, though accepted into Harvard Law, he rather chose to serve Peru's poorest villages by joining a missionary group. Robert didn’t just live among the people. Rather, he became one of them. He learned Quechua, the ancient language of the Incas, slept on dirt floors with the villagers, and prayed under the stars

When he wasn’t building shelters, he taught math to barefoot kids under broken rooftops. When he wasn’t teaching. He carried the sick on donkeys to get help. When he wasn’t healing. He listened to stories no one else cared to hear. In time, he became something else entirely: A shepherd, a brother, a quiet warrior of faith..

And slowly, his legend grew. His acts weren’t broadcasted.But they echoed through the Andes: Bishops noticed, priests noticed, and eventually the Vatican noticed. They called him back to lead his entire Augustinian order.

From serving a village, to overseeing 2,800 brothers in over 40 countries. Still—he kept his same sandals, still walked with the poor, still rejected luxury... Then came the call that changed everything:

Rome wanted him closer. In 2020 He was appointed Archbishop and assigned to govern other bishops globally. It was rare. But Robert had never chased tradition. He wasn’t just fluent in Latin or Canon Law.
He was fluent in compassion, in humility, in listening!

The Vatican didn’t just see a priest. They saw a leader with soul. On September 30, 2023. Pope Francis named Robert Prevost a Cardinal, and the Cardinals last week chose him to head a billion Catholics on this planet.

But I have no doubt that he still prays in Quechua, and still brings comfort to those that need it, because for him, titles mean nothing without service, knowledge is useless without love, and faith - without sacrifice - is noise.

He turned down the world. And he changed it instead.
Posted by Yuri, Monday, 12 May 2025 8:47:14 PM
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As an organisation the Catholic Church has a lot to answer for, crimes committed by both individuals within, and the institution itself still go unanswered and unpunished. The Church has failed many in society, its attitude to women and gays is notoriously out of step with modern thinking. The new Pope has a responsibility to move swiftly on these issues, and not put them in the "too hard basket", as many of his predecessors did.
Posted by Paul1405, Tuesday, 13 May 2025 5:15:27 AM
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Yuri

Your bury the issue of Catholic corruption under a blanket of soppy emotion.
What you say of new Pope Leo XIV, you effectively attribute to the Church hierarchy, and by so doing, you exonerate them of their crimes.
Think of it this way; as a member of any Mafia, you are collectively guilty of their crimes.

Tell me this then, when has Pope Leo called out openly and in public, the Church hierarchy for its sins of silence, cover-up and protection of the guilty?

The congregation has little to nil power over this institutional juggernaut, obviously.
An example where the opposite is true, is the recent fate of the Evangelical Church, Hillsong, which collectively suffered the same indignity, but actually dealt with the problem, and took honourably the consequences.
Posted by diver dan, Tuesday, 13 May 2025 8:08:23 AM
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The Catholic Church, like any human institution—especially one that has existed for 2,000 years—is marked by both profound sanctity and deep sin. It’s fair to hold it accountable for real failures, especially regarding the abuse crisis and institutional cover-ups. These have rightly caused scandal and demand both justice and reform. Pope Leo XIV, like his recent predecessors, will indeed be judged by how courageously he addresses these wounds.

But let’s be honest: the Church is an easy target. Its moral vision challenges every age, and its imperfections are amplified precisely because it dares to claim moral authority. Critics often focus solely on institutional sins, overlooking the countless ways the Church continues to serve the world—through hospitals, schools, charities, and the quiet holiness of millions of believers who feed the poor, care for the sick, and defend the dignity of all human life.

The comparison to the Mafia is deeply unjust. It ignores the Church’s own teaching that no one—not even clergy—is above accountability. It also forgets the saints, martyrs, and reformers from within who’ve risked everything to purify the Church. It forgets Pope Benedict XVI’s historic confrontation with abuse, or Pope Francis’ global summits to hold bishops accountable. And it assumes Pope Leo XIV has already failed before he has even begun.

Criticism is necessary—especially from the faithful. But it must be fair. The Church’s moral authority does not rest on the perfection of its members, but on Christ, who called sinners and promised to remain with His Church until the end. Reform, in Catholicism, comes not by tearing down but by conversion and fidelity to the Gospel.

The Church must continue to repent, reform, and rebuild trust. But we should also recognize its ongoing contributions to human dignity, social justice, and spiritual hope in a deeply wounded world.
Posted by Yuri, Tuesday, 13 May 2025 1:00:51 PM
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