Habemus Papam! Or as they say in Chicago, “Ay, we got a pope!”

As the world awaited the election of a successor to St. Peter, very few of us expected to see an American step out on to the loggia in St. Peter’s Square. Although Robert Cardinal Prevost of Chicago was occasionally mentioned among the papabile, the likely papal candidates, his quick election still came as a shock.

We’re still getting to know Pope Leo XIV, but his episcopal motto – In illo uno unum, (“In Christ we are one”) – already points to his mission of building unity in the Church amid our divided world. The title Roman “Pontiff” (literally “bridge-builder”) underscores that mission. The motto itself comes from a sermon on Psalm 127 by St. Augustine, patron of the Augustinian order to which Pope Leo XIV belongs.

Over the past decade or so, the rift between the political “left” and the “right” has widened into a chasm, and that division is felt within the life of Catholic Church today. There are heated disagreements about President Trump, immigration, the economy, the Latin Mass, sexual morality, racism, and much more. Although such debates are important, they often devolve into mere tribalism, sidelining faith reason, and charity in order to defend one’s own side at all costs.

Since the announcement of Pope Leo XIV’s election, there’s been a scramble to “place” him on our political spectrum. We ask ourselves: Is he “one of us” or one of “them”? Will he be with me or against me on the issues that I care about? Is he pro-Trump or anti-Trump? Is he traditional or progressive? Am I supposed to like him or not?

This kind of partisan thinking often elevates our political allegiances above our allegiance to Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church. At life’s end we won’t be judged by our loyalty to a party but by our fidelity to Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (cf. Matt 25:31–46). We should consistently strive to conform our minds to His Word, not to our favorite news outlets or pundits.

The Catholic faith doesn’t neatly fit into partisan boxes, and I expect that Pope Leo XIV will say things in the months ahead that make all sides squirm, just as his predecessors have. His mission as the Vicar of Christ is to proclaim the timeless truths of Scripture and Tradition, including the Gospel’s challenging call to conversion. Catholic evangelist Marcel LeJeune put it well:

The Pope doesn’t exist to merely affirm your politics or worldview. He exists to lead God’s Church and pastor you. If you don’t allow him to challenge you, you are rejecting his God-given role and making yourself into a pseudo-magisterium of self.

In Christ we are one. As Pope Leo XIV begins his pontificate – his “bridge-building” – let us pray that the Holy Spirit helps him to bring greater unity to the Body of Christ. May all Catholics make the decision to set aside our tribal-thinking in favor of Catholic-thinking, uniting around our Holy Father with filial openness.