The First American Pope
On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost from Chicago was elected as the 267th Bishop of Rome after four rounds of voting by 133 cardinals from around the world. He became Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope in Catholic history. The media called it historic. Headlines praise his international background and commitment to outreach. But for those who test religious claims by Scripture rather than popularity, his election could be more concerning than inspiring.
Leo XIV’s first words as pope were, “Peace be with you,” echoing the post-resurrection greeting of Jesus. Standing on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he spoke of unity, compassion, and building bridges across differences. His speech drew applause from both Catholics and non-Catholics. Vatican News framed the moment as a powerful image of hope. But if we take Scripture seriously, words of peace and unity are not enough. I have to ask - by what authority does this man speak?
The Legacy of the Leos
Historically, popes named Leo have been anything but quiet figures. Leo I, also known as Leo the Great, served from 440 to 461 and was instrumental in asserting Rome’s supremacy over the wider Church. He helped define the doctrine of the papacy and famously claimed that the authority of Peter was passed on to every bishop of Rome. He also persuaded Attila the Hun to spare the city of Rome, blending political power with spiritual clout.
Then came Leo XIII, who papacy lasted from 1878 to 1903. He is remembered for expanding papal influence in the modern world. Through encyclicals like Rerum Novarum, he inserted the Vatican into conversations on economics, labor rights, and political structure, all while reinforcing papal infallibility as defined in the First Vatican Council of 1870. He positioned the papacy not only as a spiritual authority but as a moral guide for governments and markets.
So when Robert Prevost becomes Leo XIV, he steps directly into that lineage - one that blends theology with political and social power. He doesn’t just inherit a name. He inherits a legacy of supremacy, authority, and centralization. The lion may look modern now, but the roar comes from deep in history.
Leo XIV chose his papal name carefully. “Leo” means lion, a name rich with symbolic meaning. In Revelation 5:5, Jesus is called the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” the only one worthy to open the scroll of God’s judgment. No pope should ever be compared to that image, let alone wear it.
The Authority He Claims
The Bible gives no support for the kind of power the papacy claims.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
Jesus dismantled religious hierarchy. Yet the pope takes the title “Holy Father,” which is used in John 17:11 only for God. He is called the Vicar of Christ, speaks with alleged infallibility, and rules over hundreds of millions. That’s not servant leadership. That’s monarchy.
Peter, who Catholics claim as the first pope, never acted like that. In 1 Peter 5:1–3, he writes
1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
He never called himself supreme. He never demanded reverence. If the pope truly follows Peter’s example, he should step down from the throne.
Warnings From the Word
The warnings in Scripture go further. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 that before the return of Christ, a man of lawlessness will appear. One who "opposes and exalts himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” This isn’t a warning about some obviously wicked dictator. It’s about a counterfeit religious authority, one that operates in the name of God while usurping His place. This is not personal immorality - it’s institutional blasphemy. It’s about systems that speak divine words but bend them to human agendas. That’s what the papacy does when it assumes titles like “Holy Father,” rewrites God’s law, and claims the authority of Christ on earth.
Revelation 13 adds more clarity. The beast described there is not only powerful, it is worshiped. It speaks proud words, blasphemes the name of God, and exercises dominion over every tribe, people, language, and nation. It’s not hidden in the shadows; it’s admired on the global stage. And it presents itself as righteous. For centuries, faithful Christians have read this chapter and seen it fulfilled not in a coming tyrant, but in the Roman Church's central structure, with the pope as its face.
Leo XIV's election is being hailed as a triumph of unity. A modern pope with an American background, missionary roots, and diplomatic polish. But religious unity that is built on centralized authority instead of truth is not progress; it’s the very deception Revelation warns about. The applause of the world doesn’t prove spiritual legitimacy. If anything, it’s a red flag. Jesus said His true followers would be hated for His name, not celebrated by global media and politicians.
And this isn't a fringe interpretation. The Protestant Reformers didn't pick a fight with Rome out of rebellion. They were responding to these exact passages. Luther, Calvin, Knox, and others saw the papal office as the embodiment of the man of sin, not out of bitterness, but because Scripture and history pointed them there. That warning hasn't expired. If anything, it's been muted in an age of ecumenism and compromise.
Prophecy isn’t given so we can speculate. It’s given so we can stay awake. And when a man stands before the world, receives the praise of nations, and claims to speak as Christ’s representative, while bypassing the authority of Scripture, we would be fools not to pay attention.
The Real Church Was Never Rome
And to be clear - this isn’t about hating Catholics. Many people in the Catholic Church are sincere. They want truth. They want structure. They want to honor God. But sincerity doesn’t make something right. And tradition doesn’t make something true. Jesus didn’t build His Church on a throne in Rome. He built it on the truth of who He is.
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said,
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Catholics say the rock is Peter (the Greek word for Peter means rock.). But read the text carefully and within the correct context (Matthew 16:13-20). The rock is Peter’s confession: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” The Church is built on that truth. Not on a man, not on a title, and not on an institution.
The early Church had no pope. No central office. No golden thrones. It had elders and shepherds, ordinary men who taught Scripture and led with humility. Authority came from the Word of God, not the city of Rome.
Over time, that changed. Power shifted. Bishops argued over who was greatest. Rome claimed more and more. Eventually, the pope became the “Vicar of Christ,” something the Bible never authorizes. The Church became a political machine. What started as a body became an empire.
The real Church doesn’t need Rome. It needs Christ. He is the head, not a pope. His Word is final, not church councils. His Spirit leads, not men in robes. You don’t need a middleman to reach God. You need repentance, faith, and the truth found in Scripture.
Christ is enough. His Word is enough. No crown, no throne, no title will ever change that.