Will this be an ‘ordinary’ pontificate?

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jun 10, 2025

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.”

But in his own ways, was Pope John Paul II any less exceptional? He too exploded onto the Vatican scene, immediately flashing the personal magnetism of a rock star. We might have been prepared for a Pope who was a saintly man, even for one who was a first-class scholar as well. But he was also a talented actor, linguist, athlete, poet… Was there anything he didn’t do well? With his natural command of every stage, he was the sort of leader who appears on the world scene once in a lifetime; it would be foolish to think that other Popes would be the same.

Then came Pope Benedict XVI, shy and retiring, his personality dramatically different from that of his predecessor and friend. Pope John Paul II was a natural in front of a large crowd, Pope Benedict XVI had famously longed for a quiet scholarly retirement. Yet he too was one of a kind. We expect the Roman Pontiff to be well versed in theology, but we cannot reasonably expect that he will be—as Benedict unquestionably was—among the most outstanding theologians of his time, perhaps the greatest theologian ever to occupy Peter’s Throne. The crowds that had begun crowding papal audiences under John Paul II continued to come to hear Benedict XVI—cheering less boisterously, perhaps, but grateful for catechetical lessons that were limpid distillations of profound spiritual insight. Again it would be foolish to expect that another Pope in our lifetime would have the same gifts.

Now comes Pope Leo XIV, acting the way we expect a Pope to act: wearing the traditional vestments, presiding at the traditional liturgical rites, meeting with world leaders and with the public at large. He is obviously self-effacing by nature, yet somehow he seems to be adjusting comfortably to his new celebrity status. The crowds in St. Peter’s Square have definitely taken to him, but not with the rapturous excitement that Pope John Paul II evoked. They are, I suggest, responding not to any personal charisma but to the charism of Peter’s vicar.

When I say that Pope Leo does not have the intellectual credentials of John Paul II or Benedict XVI, I mean no disrespect; very few men do. He has shown a sound grasp of theological principles, but no desire to ‘push the envelope.’ His own special strength is in canon law: the rules governing the smooth operation of the universal Church. And isn’t that what we long for in the Catholic Church today, after years of turmoil land division? In his own quiet way he has already demonstrated a knack for defusing tensions, for demonstrating and encouraging piety, and—most important of all—for drawing attention toward the simple unchanging truths of the Creed.

A month has now passed, and the new Pope has not done anything stunning. And that’s perfectly all right. The Pope’s duty is to steer Peter’s Barque, not to provide the power, and we already know the ultimate destination. If he sits quietly at the helm, adjusting the rudder a bit now and then (with the judicious application of canon law), we may come to recall what a blessing an “ordinary” papacy can be.