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Habemus papam. We have a pope. For now we'll set aside the fact that auto-correct wants to change that Latin phrase to "haberdashery." I don't mention this only for a cheap chuckle. There's relevance in the fact that the newly named Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the balcony above St. Peter's Square on Thursday wardrobed traditionally, unlike his immediate predecessor Pope Francis, who had made his first papal appearance a dozen years earlier dressed in all white. Before we can know from evidence what kind of papacy Leo will lead, we guess, and his outfitting, along with his name, suggests continuity.

But continuity with what? With the contemporary evolution of the church under Francis — more in word than theological deed, in my earnest but secular observation? Or with a Roman Catholic Church that is considered the oldest continually functioning institution in the world, with pressures to preserve and restore tradition? Perhaps both. Initial reactions Thursday suggested that the new pope could bridge those interests.

Leo is Robert Francis Prevost, born in Chicago and thus the first American pope. Much was made of that in the hours after the announcement, but it's worth noting that Prevost has spent much of his adult life outside of the United States, serving in Peru long enough to become a citizen there, and that eventually he held a position at the Vatican running the office that selects bishops globally. The church's sustainable growth is global, and for that Leo is a fit.

Still, can anything be gleaned from this largely unexpected selection? The historical line has been that the U.S. has global clout coming out of its ears, so there's no need for an American pope. But if the nation has now begun to absent itself from responsible global stewardship, and if it indeed is taking on authoritarian characteristics, might this papal selection be intended, at least in part, as a counter?

It's a mistake to expect a dramatic stance or resistance from an institution with both a legacy and future to protect. Still, there's one cause that sparks intrigue — that of migrants. A pope can exude moral authority on a subject, much as John Paul II did for the defense of freedom against authoritarianism. Before his death last month, Francis seemed to be seeking with increased urgency to elicit compassion for migrants. The Augustinian order of which Leo is part may further influence the church's voice on that subject.

A final consideration is that Leo, at 69, is relatively young. That suggests among the cardinals either a desire for stability or room to maneuver in pursuit of careful but sustainable evolution.

There are 1.4 billion Roman Catholics in the world, enough to match the U.S. population four times over. There are an estimated 1.2 million in Minnesota, comprising about a fifth of the population. Minnesotans who aren't Catholic likely know Catholics. The church, even amid decline and controversy, has an enduring influence on the culture.

We have in this nation a secular government, as we must, but organized religions do have a voice in the consideration of public policy, as they reasonably should, no more but no less than any other force. That's why the death of a pope and the selection of a successor are big news.

Now we wait and see.