Will This Be an ‘Ordinary’ Pontificate? by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture, Jun 10, 2025

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org.

Last week in this space, I remarked that Amoris Laetitia is an “aberration” from the pattern of papal teaching. As I continue my effort to discern what sort of leadership Pope Leo XIV will bring to the Church, it occurs to me that Pope Francis himself was an aberration. For that matter—and for very different reasons—so were his two immediate predecessors. So maybe now we should be prepared for an “ordinary” pontificate. The trouble is, not many of us are old enough to know what that means.

With Pope Francis it was evident from the outset that he would be exceptional. From the moment when he appeared on the loggia of St. Peter’s in his simple white cassock, disdaining the traditional papal regalia, he set himself apart from other Pontiffs. His populist style, his penchant for courting controversy, his often acerbic criticism: all were surprising. We had never seen this sort of behavior from a Pope. It is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine any previous Pontiff in living memory blithely encouraging the faithful to “make a mess.” …..

Continue reading >>>>>>>>>>