Contradictions of Leo XIV

The passage of the Bishop of Rome through our land has revealed mismatches that have long accompanied the Church. Editor Ignasi Moreta expresses it with special clarity: "The Pope's visit makes visible what I most reject about Catholicism: the cult of personality, the closeness of the powerful and flatterers, liturgy as an affirmation of power, the protagonism of ultramontanists and the priestly caste, religion stiffened by the institution..." That the authenticity of Jesus' message ends up buried under layers of power, hierarchy, and ritualism is a profound contradiction for the institution that the Pope represents.It must be recognized that Leo XIV has been one of the few international voices that, in the face of Trump's and the far-right's attempt to turn fear of the other into a political project, have unreservedly championed the dignity of migrants. His defense of those who live in the precariousness of rights and borders has undeniable moral force. But this call for inclusion coexists with a Church that maintains internal borders. Women continue to be excluded from spaces and roles that men access simply by virtue of being men. And many people, due to their identity, sexual orientation, or family model, are forced to enter through the back door. The Church that claims dignity for the excluded of the world still has difficulties in fully recognizing it within its own walls.The Pope has been too flattered by political power. In his appearance before the Congress of Deputies, he called for respect among adversaries and denounced a polarization that degrades democratic coexistence. However, in the same setting, he reiterated his rejection of abortion and euthanasia, debates that have profoundly divided Western societies and in which the Church has often played a role of ideological confrontation. In a democratic and plural society, everyone's beliefs deserve respect, but they cannot be imposed on anyone. The seven minutes of applause from the parliamentarians revealed the extent to which politics still feels comfortable in the face of religious power. The next day, however, Congress returned to its usual squabble and on Thursday it processed the reform to prevent judicial blockages on euthanasia.Between El Raval and Brians and the Sagrada Família there was also contrast. The Pope wanted to approach the poor, the homeless, the immigrants, and those who live on the margins. It was probably the most coherent gesture with the Gospel. But that closeness with the vulnerable melted away inside the temple into a solemn, hierarchical, and institutional liturgy. At the forefront was the monarchy and the rest of the authorities, not the excluded. The Church that preaches humility and simplicity continues to present itself surrounded by an scenography of power that is difficult to justify.Leo XIV is back in the Vatican. After the crowd bath, rest comes to him. And with it, the opportunity to think that the credibility of an institution is not measured only by the truths it proclaims, but also by the contradictions it dares to correct.