The Start of a New Era: Pope Leo XIV

“Peace be with all of you.” – Pope Leo XIV

It was 2013 when I was in an apartment with my roommate Jeremy when we saw the white smoke rise from the Vatican on TV. Pope Benedict XVI’s successor had been named – Pope Francis was on the scene.

It was a fine occasion. Years before, a bunch of the boys got together to buy Jeremy a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue, a very fine scotch, for his birthday. He didn’t open it to our great disappointment. He said, “A fine bottle such as this deserves an important occasion!”

I play the long game. I held out as his roommate long enough just for a taste of Blue. The occasion was here and we had a fine taste of it to celebrate. Just kidding on the holding out part, he was a great roomie and is an excellent friend.

These moments in the Church are worth celebrating. It’s a time for the Church to come together and take notice of what goes into the papacy and where does the authority come from?

1. The Holy Spirit leads the decision. We are graced with the power of the Holy Spirit in this age to lead the Church in these decisions. Oftentimes we underestimate His work, but the Paraclete is a powerlifter. There is no way a human institution like ours would have lasted if not for Divine intervention. Sure, we’ve seen a handful of bad popes in the line of 266 since Peter, but even Jesus had Judas. That doesn’t mean the mission didn’t continue despite the Evil One’s attempts to usurp and destroy.

1. Jesus established this. I’ve been a social media warrior lately, combating by using apologetics online not only with atheists but also with other Christian denominations to defend the faith. It’s an exercise to sharpen the saw with. A common diss on the Church is that there is no scriptural or historical cause for a pope. I’m happy to contend, charitably of course.Jesus did much to establish the Church; in fact, it was His mission, not an afterthought later in history. Many will say that it isn’t scriptural but what they forget is that Jesus didn’t write us book first, He gave us a Church, who later compiled the canon together – culminating in 382 at the Council of Rome, which was pulled together by Pope Damascus (of course with powerlifting coach, The Paraclete’s guiding hand).  Back to the start. In Matthew 16:19-21, Jesus has a moment with Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.”This is a huge moment that some would just say, ‘no, Jesus was talking about Himself’. But He wasn’t. Something that I learned from Dr. Scott Hahn is that Peter is mentioned more than double the rest of the other Apostles in the New Testament. Jesus had intentionally renamed Simon to Peter as the Rock, calling him Petros, “on this rock I will build my Church.”The keys to the kingdom bit is typology or reflection of the Old Testament kings, referenced in Isaiah 22:22. The kings would leave the keys to the kingdom to the prime minister while they were away. Jesus gives Peter, in this moment, the keys and with those keys, on this rock, to bind and loose or make decisions. Jesus establishes the papacy based off Peter’s role as the leader he already was to the twelve. He elevates Peter from Simon to this new responsibility, to lead the others forward as His prime minister.

1. Pope Leo XIV is fully aware of the spiritual war the Church is undergoing. The predecessor of his chosen name, Pope Leo XIII had a vision of Jesus and Satan conversing, where the devil challenged Jesus to give him one hundred years to destroy the Church. As a reflection of Ha-Satan, the Accuser in the Book of Job, he makes a case that the Church isn’t really that faithful and would buckle under pressure. Jesus allows it. This is 1884. I think we’ve seen some intense battle during this time.Pope Leo was horrified at the encounter and, seeing the end play out with the Archangel Michael leading the battle to victory, Pope Leo instituted the St. Michael prayer for the Church to use.Pope’s don’t just draw names out of a hat, and neither does the Holy Spirit. May 8th, the day of our new pope’s election, is the Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael. I’m no prophet, but I’m guessing the devil’s 100-year run is out of gas and St. Michael is about to get busy.

“St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”

In Christ,

Adam Jarosz

Adam Jarosz is the founder of Righteous Co., a brand built on faith, adventure, and purpose. With over twenty years of experience in ministry and business, Adam leads retreats, writes from the trenches of real-life discipleship, and equips others to live boldly and faithfully. He’s a husband, father of four, and believer in Christ and His Church, the power of grit and grace, and good fellowship. Follow along for insights that challenge, encourage, and call you higher with his newsletter, The Climb.