It has now been ten days since the world received news of the election of Pope Leo XIV, the new Bishop of Rome and leader of the global Catholic Church, following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, April 21. The announcement of his election by the College of Cardinals brought an end to a short but emotionally charged sede vacante—the period when the papal seat is vacant—and ushered in a new era of leadership for the Church. Ahead of his first public mass at the Vatican, scheduled for Sunday, May 18, the Vatican unveiled Pope Leo’s official papal portrait, which quickly became the subject of widespread online discussion and scrutiny—not so much for what it included, but for what it symbolized. A Portrait Filled with Tradition—and a Touch of Controversy The…