I see a lot of panic and pessimism about Leo XIV out there among traditionalists because of his continuity of mind with Francis. I think this reaction is a mistake, for a few simple reasons. 1. We were never likely to get a pope who was not, in many respects, in continuity with Francis and the Vatican II mindset. Yes, we might have dreamt of Sarah or Erdo or Pizzaballa, but when you think about it, the progressives had the majority all along; and even a conservative would have paid at least lip service to his predecessor and to the last Council. Regret it all you want, it's "what they do." 2. We were never very likely to escape a Boomer pope. However, there's a huge difference between someone born in 1936 and someone born in 1955. Bergoglio came of age in the delirious ecstasy of Vatican II and was forever stamped by that Woodstock experience. Prevost was only 10 years old when Vatican II ended, and while he too grew up in the post-nuclear wasteland, the relationship to the event was quite different. Let's put it this way: Bergoglio was emotionally codependent on Vatican II, whereas Prevost is only conceptually committed to it. This is a step on the path to the next pope, who will be not quite as conceptually committed as Prevost, until a time comes when a pope arrives for whom Vatican II is just one among many councils, no more. Yes, it's a darn slow process, but that's how human generations work, and we have to remember that instant results are given by computers, not by history. 3. A difference in personality and approach can make a HUGE difference on the ground. There are innumerable indications that Prevost is a vastly different personality than Bergoglio, all in positive ways, and that he does not want to go around making enemies and shooting people down. If we could even get some breathing room for a few years, that would be a win at this stage. Moreover, there's no doubt that one reason an American was elected was to clean up the Vatican financial disaster: "Surely an American can raise money and fix problems!" But to do this well, you have to stop waging war on conservatives and traditionalists, who have at least some sway over public perception, and therefore over the flow of donations. A man who's trying to fix a broken institution is more likely to exercise discretion and welcome different parties to the table. 4. We owe it to any man in high office to pray for him, to give him a chance to lead in that office, to let him make some mistakes (as any fallen human being will do), and to refrain from premature condemnation. This is not naivete or wishful thinking; it's a matter of justice and charity, what we owe to our fathers at all levels, in the family, in the parish, in the diocese, in the universal Church. Don't misunderstand me: I'm not saying we should not call out evils when we must. But must we do that 24/7? Can we not exercise some self-restraint, and pray a rosary instead of firing off the next barrage? Might we even consider... ignoring the pope for long stretches of time, so that we don't fall into a subtle papolatry that makes him the be-all and end-all of Catholicism? Some people who read this will no doubt be tempted to say: "Aha! Then why did you not take your own advice with Francis? You were always criticizing him!" Well, actually, in the first couple of years, I tried very hard NOT to do so, and to point out all the good and orthodox things he said and did (you can read that in the first chapters of my "Road from Hyperpapalism to Catholicism," vol. 2). It was only when the errors and wickedness began to cry out to heaven for vengeance that I could no longer keep silent about them; it was time for confrontation and condemnation. With Leo XIV, we are not even CLOSE to that point, so why don't we start off with benevolence and beneficence, rather than antagonism? Lastly, a reminder to one and all: Not to pray for someone because you think they are hopeless is a form of the sin of despair. Because prayer is real, and the grace it asks for is real, a bad pope can become worse if we fail to pray for him, and a good pope can become still better through our prayers for him. That is why I will never stop asking the Lord to send His grace upon this man who bears the weight of the world on his shoulders.