It should be noted that one of the hallmarks of the Protestant Reformation was the imperative to conduct worship services in the tongue of the native population. The intensity of Catholic traditionalists for the Latin Mass is obviously the antithesis of this position.
This article suggests that these folks might be pleased with Pope Leo in the long run. But there are other hopeful signs that might be more pleasing to orthodox Christian believers with conservative convictions who are not Catholic:
William Jasper, The New American:
About those positive signals Pope Leo has sent; there are many, the significance of which may not be recognized by non-Catholics. Such as his eschewing of Pope Francis’s false humility in his papal attire and papal domicile. Returning to papal tradition, Pope Leo wore the red mozzetta (elbow-length cape) when appearing on the loggia following his election and announced that he will be moving back into the traditional papal apartment abandoned by Francis. And, among other welcome signs to traditionalists, he sang the Regina Coeli prayer in Latin during his first Sunday address to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, reintroduced Latin in his first Mass as pope, blessed the journalists at his first press conference with a Latin benediction, praised the Catholic Eastern rites for preserving their beautiful liturgical traditions, prayed for the persecuted Church in China, replaced the scandal-ridden Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia as president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, and, in his first meeting with the Vatican diplomatic corps, reaffirmed the traditional Catholic teaching on marriage, abortion, and euthanasia.
These and other positive signals are cause for hope, without naively believing that Pope Leo is about to initiate a counter revolution that will overturn the 60-year devastation of Vatican II. As Matt says, these positive signs indicate that we may have rare opportunities for snatching back some of our plundered Catholic patrimony — if traditionalists react intelligently and strategically to these openings. The evils and absurdities unleashed by Pope Francis shocked and awakened many people and, ironically, in many ways grew and strengthened the traditionalist movement within the Church. There are now Latin Mass religious orders, sympathetic bishops, and flourishing traditional parishes that didn’t exist during the devastating aftermath of Vatican II in the 1970s and 1980s. Why not exercise the virtues of patience and prudence, and give the new Holy Father a wait-and-see honeymoon period before passing a verdict? If the Leonine pontificate turns out to be a remake of the Bergoglian one, as the pessimists predict, then Catholic traditionalists can return to the catacombs and holy resistance...
Among the conservative and traditional Catholic intellectuals, influencers, publications, and websites who are noting Pope Leo’s overtures to Catholic tradition and taking a cautious (and charitable) optimism toward his young papacy are Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, Dr. Taylor Marshall, Raymond Arroyo, Dr. Anthony Stine, Robert Royal, Catholic Family News, Matt Walsh, U.S. Grace Force podcast, Patrick Coffin, Professor Roberto de Mattei, Edward Pentin, Philip Lawler, Robert Royal, Dr. Robert Moynihan, Joe McClane, John-Henry Westen, Jesse Romero, John Yep, Terry Barber, and Doug Barry. In addition to these lay Catholics, respected clerics such as Bishop Joseph Strickland, Cardinal Raymond Burke, Cardinal Gerhard Muller, Cardinal William Goh Seng Chye,Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Fr. Gerald Murray, Fr. Charles Murr, Fr. Chris Alar, and many others have expressed the opinion that Pope Leo is more likely to be a unifier and a “bridge builder,” as opposed to “Francis the Merciful,” who talked a good game about “listening,” “accompaniment,” and “inclusivity” while acting like a spiteful autocrat toward those who did not share his leftist ideology.
I think it is far too early to judge Pope Leo. But who am I but a lowly Protestant.
There are mixed signals coming from the Vatican.
Some see his selection as awful and others seem pleased .
Let’s wait and see..
I agree, Fred. His impact will be very important, but we don’t know where this is going with certainty.