Note

I have a prediction. Given the minimal amount of scrolling I’ve done about how Leo XIV was already very close to the Vatican at the time of Francis’ death, I bet he will do it the usual way. He will publicly be all the things that Roman Catholics require—pro-life and against gay marriage—but he will also keep, perhaps a lot more quietly than Francis, trundling down the path into progressivism. He will continue to divide the institution and persecute real conservatives, only he will be a little bit quieter and perhaps more politically savvy. Thus, he will be able to co-opt those who have weak stomachs for conflict. Soon, there will be a small, vocal, and deeply annoying group of “Communion Partners” or whatever they will be called by the Vatican.