The very first Pope Leo served as bishop of Rome all the way back in the middle of the fifth century. However, few of those commenting on Leo XIV made the obvious connection to one of the most important, if not infamous, of all popes, Leo X, whose place in history is tied not so much to anything that he accomplished, but rather as to his relationship to his greatest nemesis, Dr. Martin Luther, whom Leo X referred to as “a drunken German.”

With the election of a Chicagoan, Cardinal Robert Prevost, to be the first American pope, the world was understandably intrigued. His selection of the papal name Leo XIV only added to the public’s fascination with him—and mounting speculation regarding the type of international ecclesiastical leader that Leo might become.

Conservatives and traditionalists were looking for the smallest clues that Leo XIV was one of them, and went to great lengths to evaluate things such as his choice of vestments. Progressives, on the other hand, took much pride in the fact that the new pope worked directly under Pope Francis since January of 2023.

Much of the discussion also revolved around the choice of the name Leo—and great attention was given to the last man to use the name, Pope Leo XIII. He held the office from 1878 to 1903, and is credited as a social reformer. The very first Pope Leo served as bishop of Rome all the way back in the middle of the fifth century.

However, few of those commenting on Leo XIV—and none that I have heard in the secular media—made the obvious connection to one of the most important, if not infamous, of all popes, Leo X.

“Since God has given us the papacy,” he stated dramatically, “let us enjoy it.”

Leo X’s place in history is tied not so much to anything that he himself accomplished, as to his relationship to his greatest nemesis. That, of course, was the young priest and professor of Wittenberg, Dr. Martin Luther, whom the pope referred to as “a drunken German.”

“He will feel different when he is sober,” Leo X concluded.

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