The American pope

My latest piece, occasioned by the arrival of the new pope, is a reflection on the Paolo Sorrentino HBO show The Young Pope! A few thoughts to start you off:

The papacy has been remarkably often in the news in our rather anti-clerical & increasingly secular age, making history in ways noticed & unnoticed. In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI retired, which is pretty much unheard of. Two weeks later, the papal conclave gave the world the first South American pope, Francis, who spent his 12-year papacy making headlines as well as serious changes to the Catholic Church.

After his death on April 21, Easter Monday, another conclave was summoned. On May 8, it gave the world another shock: The first American pope, Leo XIV. The new pope has said that he chose his name to honor Leo XIII’s (1878-1903) teaching regarding the social questions raised by the industrial revolution, presented in the famous encyclical Rerum Novarum.

Some striking coincidences made me think again of the HBO miniseries The Young Pope (2016), written & directed Paolo Sorrentino, Italy’s last remarkable film artist. In the context of the Francis papacy, Sorrentino came up with a story of the world’s first American pope, Pius XIII (played in a career-defining role by Jude Law), a young, beautiful, manly, aggressive, & impossibly reactionary leader setting Christianity against the modern world. In his first address from the balcony of St. Peter’s, Pius denounces “free will, liberation, emancipation.” The show is a challenge to the complacency & decadence wrought by these principles.

I also have a podcast to recommend on the show—the discussion started a year back, & I will complete it next week. Take a listen!

Spotify:

Apple Podcasts:

Or SoundCloud: