Bishop Steve Lowe: Auckland Catholic Bishop on Leo XIV the new pope, his comments towards Donald Trump and what differences he will bring to the Church

The Catholic Catholic Church’s new pope is already making headlines for his criticism of his President Donald Trump.

Auckland Bishop Steve Lowe says as pope, Leo XIV will occasionally weigh into politics.

“He’s got to uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ and sometimes that might come into conflict with some political leaders around the world,” he said.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, as I said at the start of nineteen past five.
By the way, as I said at the start of
the program, Pope Leo the fourteenth is already getting a
few headlines for his criticism of the Trump administration's immigration policy.
Now the Catholic Bishop of Auckland, Steve Lowe, is with us.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hey, Steve, good evening, Heather. How are you.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
I'm very well, thank you, very pleased we've got to
a pope this early in the business. Were you surprised
by this?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, I was. The New Zealand bishops were meeting in
Palmerston North this week and we were speculating how long
it had taken. And I was one of the ones
that said, I don't think it's going to be anytime fast.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
And were you placing bets?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
No, we weren't placing bets. No one was willing to
predict her it was going to be. It was more
about when was the announcement going to be.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
But Steve, if you were going to place bets and
predict her it was going to be, nobody would have
predicted Bob from America, would we.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Well, that's right, it's some some did. I was just
talking to my sister a little while ago, and she said, oh,
his name has been out there right from the beginning.
But he's a cardinal that we haven't had much contact
with in New Zealand. That he was the prefect of
the dicastri for bishops, but they don't oversee the church

(01:18):
in New Zealand, so it's we're under a different dicastry.
So he's a bit of a he's a bit of
a mystery man for us.

Speaker 3 (01:26):
Right, how do you feel about him weighing into politics?

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Well, I think I don't know if he's weighing into
politics so much is that, you know, though, you know,
as the leader of the Catholic Church, he's got to
uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ and sometimes that might
come into conflict with some political leaders around the world.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
And do you see his election as a vindication of
Francis because the church hasn't lurched radically to the other side.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
I think I think, just going on the words he
said this morning and that the tone also his background,
that it is a sign that the cardinals were looking
for a pope who would continue in the direction of
Pope Francis. He's going to be different. He's going to
bring his own gifts and talents, and he brings his

(02:27):
own experience, so it will be different. But I think
basically that direction of a church that engages with society.
You know, he talked about encounter and dialogue and that
synodal journeying together has been key components, but also seeking

(02:47):
a path of peace and unity.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yeah, brilliant s.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
Thank you so much. Steve really appreciated Bishop Steve Low,
who is the Bishop of Auckland. For more from Heather
Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
It'd be from four pm weekdays.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
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