Fr. Shenan J. Boquet: Family First: Pope Leo XIV’s Mission

Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International, June 9, 2025

“We have the family, the ‘society’ of a man’s house — a society very small, one must admit, but none the less a true society, and one older than any State. Consequently, it has rights and duties peculiar to itself which are quite independent of the State.” ― Pope Leo XIII, Rerum novarum

It has been such a joy watching our new Holy Father take up the mantle of St. Peter and reveal to the world his unique personality and charism as the shepherd of the global Church.

Although Pope Leo XIV looked slightly nervous when he first walked out on the Loggia after his election, he seems to have made the transition to pontiff with remarkable grace. As John Pinheiro notes in this analysis of Pope Leo’s first few weeks as pope, the Holy Father seems to be carefully charting a course as a “unifying” figure. Even his choice of name suggests this, as his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII is a remarkably popular pope among both liberals (for his emphasis on social justice) and conservatives (for his doctrinal orthodoxy, and resuscitation of Thomism).

As the president of Human Life International, I have been delighted by many of Pope Leo’s statements and reflections. It seems worth highlighting what already seems to be one recurrent theme of the Holy Father’s pontificate: the central importance of the family, and the role of parents, in creating a healthy society and imparting the faith to future generations. …

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