A Church united and in dialogue: perspectives on the pontificate of Leo XIV.

The new pope was elected on May 8. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost Martinez (Chicago, 1955) assumed the pontificate under the name of Leo XIV. The election was received with enthusiasm by tens of thousands of people who filled St. Peter's place and its surroundings, in an atmosphere of collective joy that exploded with the appearance of the traditional white smoke.

In his first message from the central balcony of the Vatican Basilica, Leo XIV made a clear call to unity and mission statement: "Build bridges through dialogue, through meeting, leading us all to be one people always at peace. He urged the cardinals to "walk as a united Church, always seeking peace and justice, always seeking to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, unafraid to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries".

What can be anticipated from the new pontificate? What challenges await the new successor of Peter? To delve deeper into these questions, we spoke with Lluis Clavell, priest, philosopher and university professor. He has been President of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, consultant various dicasteries of the Holy See and member of the steering committee of the International Society Thomas Aquinas. With a career marked by philosophical reflection and ecclesial service, in this interview he shares his vision of the moment the Church is living and the keys to the pontificate that is beginning.

What would you say are the main challenges facing Leo XIV as he assumes the pontificate?

I think there may be different perspectives on this. From my point of view, there are some challenges worth pointing out. There are probably more, but these seem to me to be the main ones.

One of the great challenges is the tension and division that exists in the world today, which is inevitably reflected in the Church. Already in his first speeches, one can perceive that the Pope wants to be a factor of unity, and this seems to me to be fundamental.

Secondly, this division is not only ideological, but also doctrinal and theological. And I believe that the Pope has perceived this clearly; that is why he insists so much on the centrality of Christ as the meeting point.

Another important challenge is that of vocations: priestly, religious and, in general, to a consecrated life. In this sense, your message to young people seemed to me very powerful and hopeful.

More specifically, there is also a challenge in the area of Church law. For years, perhaps, it has been seen in a very technical or legalistic way, which can make it difficult to understand it as a true expression of justice. The fact that the Pope has a doctorate in Canon Law can help to promote reforms, for example in the Roman Curia, always respecting collegiality, which is an essential principle.

In the final, it seems to me that one of the great challenges will be to achieve a balance between justice and communion, between rule and pastoral care.

The new pontiff has a broad intellectual training , pastoral A and a considerable closeness to everyone. Would you highlight any of these facets over the others?

I would not highlight one facet above the others. My impression -and I think it is shared by many people- is that we are dealing with a figure with a very complete and balanced training . 

Knowing his background, one senses a very interesting combination: he has a solid intellectual training , which encompasses not only Philosophy, theology and Church law, but also mathematics. All of that, I think, gives him a very rich perspective.

At a time like the present, when we are experiencing a great fragmentation of knowledge, this breadth and formative balance can be especially valuable. It seems to me that it is something that can contribute a lot.

What cultural challenges do you see as most pressing for the Church, and what role do you think the new Pope can play in addressing them?

In Europe we are going through a rather difficult moment. From my perspective, rather than talking about woke culture, I prefer to refer to what I consider to be the most extreme - and sometimes most problematic - fruits of the student revolution of '68, which was, at its core, an anthropological revolution. 

The challenge is to overcome this heritage not with a nostalgia for the past, but with a renewing proposal that preserves what is essential and improves what is necessary. It seems to me that the new Pope has this sensitivity and intelligence. 

In recent days I have read, for example, your speech to the diplomatic corps, and I found it magnificent, especially with regard to justice. You also spoke about the family - a topic particular interest to me - and it seems to me that your words open up hopeful horizons. All this, I believe, can be very valuable for the Church and for the world. 

 

In his first speech Leo XIV emphasized peace. How can the Church contribute to peace in today's world?

I believe that, above all, the Church can contribute by trying to unite, by favoring reconciliation. This has already been clearly noted in the Pope's first interventions, from the very day of the white smoke.

We are living in a time of great global pessimism, and I think it is important to listen to what the Pope says to see if he offers any light or hope in this area.

In addition, I consider him to be a man whose life trajectory is very rich: he is the son of immigrants, was born in the United States, became a Peruvian citizen and has Augustinian roots. I believe that these experiences influence his way of governing the Church and his style of leadership.

His language is profoundly conciliatory, oriented towards unity and peace, avoiding sterile confrontations. At the same time, he does not hesitate to express with serenity and clarity what Christ has come to bring. The reference letter to Christ was strong and clear in his first words.

One of the keys of Francis' pontificate was synodality. What transformations do you think it has produced in ecclesial life? On the other hand, do you think Leo XIV will give continuity to this synodal path or will he mark a different direction?

As a philosopher, I had the good fortune to participate in one of the synods on the family, and then I participated in a small study group on synodality. My contribution consisted in analyzing what elements of collegiality were already present in the current Code of Canon Law . Although I am not a jurist, I identified various collegial bodies that exist at different levels of ecclesial life and presented a reflection on this.

Personally, I tend to see synodality from the perspective of collegiality, perhaps also because during my youth I often heard St. Josemaría speak of the importance of collegial government in the Church and in Opus Dei. He, for example, eliminated the figure of the proprietary director precisely to foster this collegial vision of government. That idea marked me from a very young age, and I also experienced it during my time as university President : I relied a lot on the committee and decisions were taken collegially.

For this reason, it seems to me that collegiality is a very valuable style of government, and it would be desirable that synodality move in the same direction. I think there is still a way to go, since in many places this dimension has not been fully lived. However, from what I have seen so far, the new Pope has a special sensitivity for these issues, also because he knows the law well, and that will allow him to concretize how to better apply synodality in the governance of the Church.

You just mentioned St. Josemaría. In the present ecclesial context, is there any teaching of his that is especially valuable for the service of the Pope and the Church?

I believe that there are very concrete examples of St. Josemaría that continue to be especially valuable today. We all know his clear teaching of serving the Church as she wants to be served, and of always having the Pope in first place. 

I had the opportunity to see firsthand how he lived through suffering during what is sometimes called the post-conciliar crisis, which covered many areas: from liturgical to formative. He suffered a lot, but he never criticized. His response was to form very well those who depended on him, and to make sometimes unpopular but necessary decisions.

I remember him talking about how, in an epidemic, a doctor or an authority may be forced to take exceptional measures, which in normal times would not be appropriate. And that, once the epidemic is over, those measures must also cease. St. Josemaría had to take some of these decisions in difficult times.

I also remember very vividly an episode in Rome: an offensive poster appeared in the street comparing Pope Paul VI to Mao. He was deeply hurt. And the next day, in one of those Sunday morning meetings, he asked all of us to pray a Hail Mary before an image of the Blessed Virgin, as a way of making amends for that offense to the Holy Father. It was a simple gesture, but full of love for the Church.

And another thing that always impressed me was his total refusal to murmur or divide. Even when there were mixed reactions to some of John XXIII's encyclicals, St. Josemaría was always firm in not encouraging criticism or divisions. For me, he remains an example of unity, fidelity and service.

Finally, as a philosopher, what are your personal hopes for the pontificate of Leo XIV?

One of my main hopes has to do with law. It seems fundamental to me. Another important aspect is that of doctrinal training , understood with a broad vision. Theology is not an experimental science, but it needs to be in contact with Philosophy and with the real life of people. In this sense, the new pontificate can be a very good opportunity to promote a deeper integration between the various fields of knowledge.

Something that worries me-and that I have been thinking about frequently for years-is the fragmentation of knowledge, which can be perceived in many universities. I hope that the pontificate of Leo XIV will help to heal this fragmentation and help to cultivate a more unified intellectual culture, more open to dialogue between disciplines and closer to people's lives.