What’s in a name?  A lot.  Leo XIV is a name that suggests two things: continuity and change.

Continuity because there have been thirteen Leos  before him. His first challenge is that Leo the First (440 to 461) is now known as Leo the Great, who dissuaded Atila the Hun from invading Italy and helped the Council of Chalcedon define Jesus Christ as having two natures in one Person. Some heritage to live up to.

But change, because while the Apostles Creed and all the core  truths of the faith remain inviolate and need no change, the way we pronounce and explain them do change. You can’t help an uneducated native of a new mission country understand how Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament if you stick to English.

But a lot else needs change, and Pope Leo will have to handle it. How is Rome first among equals,  how did my bishop get anointed, how long will Canon Law take to accommodate synodality, how will the church fully enable women to promote the Gospel, and who can pay for all of this?

And in the face of this continuity and change, can the believers who follow The Way manage to live the great gifts that the Son of God came into our flesh to share: my joy I give you—repent and believe—and I am with you all days.

In this light, what digs Pope Leo XIV spends his last days in does not seem very important in the lives of us believers.  Or whether he wears red shoes or sandals. What’s important is that the Holy Spirit has chosen Her man and will stay with him, and we can count on that—the billion and a half of us who are now Jesus Christ’s flock who correctly trust that no one can snatch us from His hands.

We just need to keep our consciences clean and our hearts filled with joy. That shouldn’t be so hard with the Holy Spirit guiding us, too.