016-"The Church Needs You”
(Cover photo is Pope Leo XIV with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Meeting Eastern Catholics, pope pledges to be peacemaker – Catholic Star Herald))
I must say that the beginning of Pope Leo’s papacy has continued to be such an educational time for anyone considering themselves students of Catholicism. He has charted his own course—and with it, he has brought so many beautiful traditions and customs to light. Leo has already preached and reiterated critical doctrines and beliefs, too.
Today (14 May) was no exception. In what was a special day for Eastern Christians, Pope Leo XIV spoke at Paul VI Hall in recognition of the Jubilee of The Eastern Churches. The Eastern Rite Churces, of which there are 23, are rites which are in communion with Rome. Some of their traditions, liturgies, practices, and general governance may differ in noticeable ways, however, and they often offer a glimpse into beautiful aspects of our faith dating back many centuries.
Speaking of the Paul VI Hall, “The Resurrection” piece of art which sits behind the stage draws a ton of criticism from many viewers online. It depicts Jesus rising from the blast of a nuke, using inspiration from the Cold War. It symbolizes Christ conquering death. My take: the lower half of it is uglier than Hell. That is the point though. Criticize it if you want, but I like it.
Anyway, during this address, he issued strong statements in support of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, citing many historical documents and addresses in the process while adding his own profound stances.
Before we go further, it is worth briefly touching on a few of these referenced he used in his address. This is generally in the order he brings them up but might not be exact. I first want to touch on the Apolstolic Letter Orientalium Dignitas, written in 1894 by Pope Leo XIII. Leo XIV reiterated much of what was in this encyclical, an encyclical which emphasized the necessity of preserving the unique and rich traditions found in the Eastern Catholic Churches. Leo XIV quoted Leo XIII in saying that “the work of human redemption began in the East.” In a similar way, he referenced Section 5 of Orientale Lumen, an apostolic letter written by St. John Paul II. The line he cited verbatim was “[The Eastern Church has] a unique and privileged role as the original setting where the Church was born.”
He further referenced a statement from the previous Leo in stating that “any Latin-Rite missionary, whether a member of the secular or regular clergy, who by advice or support draws any Eastern-Rite Catholic to the Latin Rite” ought to be “dismissed and removed from his office.” The current Leo emphatically reiterated this opinion.
Leo also cited Saint Isaac of Nineveh, pulling from Sermones Ascetici. This is a series of approximately 77 homilies from the 7th Century Syrian monk and bishop, and Leo specifically quoted him in saying “the greatest sin is to not believe in the power of the resurrection.” He quotes John at one point, saying a familiar line in the west. “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19, 21, 26). Leo then continues to site John, saying “Peace I leave you; my peace I give to you. I do not give it to you as the world gives it” (Jn 14:27).
I will provide one more, though he cites several other sources in his address. In this one, he brings to light a concept that many who know him well attribute to him. He is a man focused on the big picture. Citing Saint Symeon the New Theologian, he says that “Just as one who throws dust on the flame of a burning furnace extinguishes it, so the cares of this life and every kind of attachment to petty and worthless things destroy the warmth of the heart that was initially kindled.” This is from Practical and Theological Chapters, 63, a collection of short texts from, what I am gathering, the late tenth century.
He referenced key figures from almost every chapter in the church’s 2000+ year history today. That in itself is impressive. The last two are of particular importance, I think. One regards peace, one reflects his steady-handed style.
On peace: Leo makes it clear, once again, that peace is a crucial part of his papacy. He made it abundantly clear today, however, that peace will entail more than just a few signed treaties and agreements. A lasting peace is only possible through recognizing the human in one another—even people who may seem as enemies on the surface. It requires dialogue. It is not insignificant that Leo invited all parties to use The Vatican as a setting to speak. This is genuine on his part.
Leo expressed encouragement for Christian communities caught in war zones. This affects most directly many of the Eastern Catholic Churches—be they in Ukraine, Syria, or elsewhere. In his own words, “I thank God for those Christians – Eastern and Latin alike – who, above all in the Middle East, persevere and remain in their homelands, resisting the temptation to abandon them. Christians must be given the opportunity, and not just in words, to remain in their native lands with all the rights needed for a secure existence. Please, let us strive for this!” This is powerful, and it puts key leaders throughout the world on notice. I’ll add, this affects some Latin Rite churches as well; we became familiar with Cardinal Pizzaballa during the Conclave, who heads the Latin Rite Church in Jerusalem. His Catholic community in Gaza has gone through Hell in recent years. Catholics in Nigeria face tragic pressure from Islamists, which can by no means be discounted.
Another key element to Leo’s address was the beauty of Eastern liturgies. To again quote the pope directly, “We have great need to recover the sense of mystery that remains alive in [Eastern] liturgies, liturgies that engage the human person in his or her entirety, that sing of the beauty of salvation and evoke a sense of wonder at how God’s majesty embraces our human frailty! It is likewise important to rediscover, especially in the Christian West, a sense of the primacy of God, the importance of mystagogy and the values so typical of Eastern spirituality: constant intercession, penance, fasting, and weeping for one’s own sins and for those of all humanity (penthos)! It is vital, then, that you preserve your traditions without attenuating them, for the sake perhaps of practicality or convenience, lest they be corrupted by the mentality of consumerism and utilitarianism.”
My favorite priest from my local parish would often talk about the eastern church and the beauty of its sense of mystery. This hit home for me. As for the liturgies, they often incorporate beautiful chants—chants which will frequently be in a number of different sacred languages, depending on which rite we are discussing. These are roots of our faith which should never be dismissed or forgotten.
Furthermore, for western traditionalists who were worried about where the church was heading, this has to be an encouraging sign. Pope Leo is likely to very much be a centrist in many ways (in terms of what he emphasizes or believes doctrinally), though that remains to be seen.
What glimpses we can see would tell us that he cares immensely about the traditions of the church though. His passionate address to the Eastern Catholics today (today as I write this) drives this point further home. His return to chanting (such as the Regina Coelis), to more traditional vestments, even gestures like allowing the faithful to kiss the fisherman’s ring (Francis was always bizarrely uncomfortable with that) point to a man who values tradition.
My caution to traditionalists would be this: be bleeding heart traditionalists. Most traditional people I know in person are the kindest people you will ever meet. The online community is mostly in this light, but so many are also more rigid and at times off putting. There is no reason a strong sense of tradition cannot accompany general kindness. The best I can tell is that Pope Leo XIV is both a lover of tradition and a genuinely kind person.
My final note, a quick one, will be on the energy in the crowd at this event. I was watching a livestream of it, but I will say that it was a passionate group with endless cheering at different points as many of the Eastern Rite bishops were greeting Pope Leo XIV.
In short, there is so much to love about what is happening in the church right now. Leo is emphasizing tradition, embracing the other lung of the church, preaching passionately for peace, and showing a sense of powerful calm and approachability. It is everything we could have wanted, given what was needed at this exact time. The little that we do know about how the Conclave progressed, it is difficult not to believe that the Holy Spirit guided these men to a wonderful decision.
The remarks given by Pope Leo XIV, of which I significantly site in this blog, can be found here. #iubilaeum2025 – Audience with Participants in the Jubilee of the Eastern Churches
Blessings. -P.K.