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Mike Magee
Between Pope Leo XIV and J.D. Vance, Catholicism is all over the news these days. The Vice President, with obvious Presidential ambitions, has chosen Conservative Catholicism as his political vehicle, featuring it on the nationwide book tour of “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.”
In the meantime, the Pope took time for a stopover at Sant’Angelo Lodigiano in northern Italy to gaze at a stained glass image of Mother Francis Cabrini. She’s still a “hometown girl” in the eyes of villagers there. She was born in this hilly village in 1850, but died in the Pope’s hometown of Chicago in 1917. She’s a favorite of Pope Leo as well, and for good reason. In 1946, she became the first American saint. At the time, there were roughly 35 -40 million Catholics among a U.S. population of just under 150 million.
Maria Francesca Cabrini was born two months premature, the youngest of 13 children born to a farmer, Agostino Cabrini and his wife, Stella Odini. Only four of Maria’s siblings survived. By the age of 20, her parents had died, and she committed to becoming a missionary nun. To Maria she added “Francis Xavier,” the name of her most admired saint and the co-founder of the Jesuit order with St. Ignatius Loyola. He too was well traveled and at the time of his beatification by Pope Gregory XV in 1622 was titled “Apostle of the Far East.”
In contrast to Vance, the Pope is decidedly pro-immigrant as was Cabrini. In his comments last week, the Pope drew attention to America’s first saint and her “ministry to migrants.” As founder and leader of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, she made a dozen ocean bound journeys over 23 years across the globe at the turn of the century leaving behind many dozen hospitals, orphanages and schools on three continents.
Pope Pius XII, who canonized her in 1946, described her as “a friendly hand, a sheltering refuge, relief and help.” The U.S. Catholic Bishops titled her “Patroness of Immigrants.” She was declared then an agent of peace, and not the threatening kind like America’s #2 who is now embedded in Switzerland having cut his controversial book tour short, and enthusiastically embraced the glow of international cameras at talks to end Trump’s war with Iran.
Cabrini has little in common with this best-selling author – except the fact that they both are Catholic. Vance’s conversion was purposeful. It placed him at the center of a rising conservative culture and reinforced themes from his first book, “Hillbilly Elegy.” The rise in politics was accompanied by marriage, children, and a successful run for Senate in Ohio banked by PayPal billionaire Peter Thiel.
Conservative Catholicism has made a move with the support of Trump. His embrace of Project 2025, along with the takeover of the Supreme Court by hard right judges has spurned reactionary executive behavior and legislative timidity in equal measures.
As for everyday, self-identified Catholics, they currently make up 20% of U.S. adults (53 million nationwide). But only 29% attend mass weekly. Since 2007, the share of White Catholics has declined 10% to 54% while Hispanic representation has grown 7% to 36%. Catholicism is riding an immigrant wave (29% immigrant). 60% of congregants are eligible for AARP membership. The most Catholic area of the nation is now the South (38%) thanks to Hispanic demographics. As for politics, 53% identify as Republicans, while 43% are Democrats. But on the Republican signature issue of overturning Roe v. Wade, 60% of Catholics said abortion should be legal.
Finally, Catholics opinions about Pope Leo appear to be mirroring their sentiments toward “Social Justice” champion Pope Francis. 75% of U.S. Catholics viewed Francis favorably.
When it comes to favorability, Pope Leo swamps J.D. Vance. The latest polls show the Pope dominating by 18% points (55% vs. 37%) in favorability by all U.S. citizens in the latest Economist poll. Among Catholics, the gap widens to 20%. Pope Leo approval rating likely flows from embracing the same priorities Mother Cabrini exemplified before him. Both lived in and embraced Italy during their formative years. Both adopted other nations where they resided – Cabrini in the U.S. and the Pope in Peru. In fact, the Pope’s long service to Peru apparently overshadowed his U.S. citizenship, of which many of his fellow bishops, who supported his candidacy for Pope, were unaware.
As for the World Cup, Pope Leo (in diplomatic garb) says he following three teams, the U.S., Peru, and Italy.
