This is a series of essays about the election of the first pope born in the United States. NCR asked notable Catholics and Americans from various perspectives within the faith community to write about their hopes, dreams and expectations for Pope Leo XIV.
I have, after 80 years, felt something that I never thought I would in this century as a Roman Catholic. I feel optimistic. I feel renewed. I feel bright about the future of the Catholic Church.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Catholic, writes about his hopes for the pontificate of Leo XIV. As a servant leader, the new pope can orient us toward unity and affect the world far beyond the confines of the Catholic faith.
