Two months ago, following the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost to the papacy, everyone tried to figure out exactly who this new leader of the Church was. Once he stepped out on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope Leo XIV, questions and speculation began about where and how he might lead the Church.
Why did he choose the name Leo XIV? Will he follow the late Pope Francis’ lead or will he chart a different course? How will he address certain Church issues, like women in ministry? Who are the Augustinians, the religious community to which he belongs? People even wanted to know if he is a fan of the Chicago Cubs or White Sox baseball team.
In this edition, we will look at some of those issues and recount some highlights of the conclave and election. We will also share people’s reactions to the election and their hopes for the future of this papacy (see “A New Pope, a New Ministry.”)
At a Mass prior to the conclave, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, expressed his hope that whomever the cardinals elected would be exactly “whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history. . . . Let us pray that God will grant the Church a pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterized by great technological progress but which tends to forget God.”
In the end, we must remember that it was the Holy Spirit who led the cardinals to elect Pope Leo XIV. And it is in the spirit of St. Peter and all the previous popes that the current pope will serve as an example of how to live out our faith.
God bless Pope Leo XIV!
