Month: May 2025

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – President Donald Trump on May 8 congratulated Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, who was elected the 267th pope the same day, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.

In a post on his social media website Truth Social, Trump noted Pope Leo will be the first American pontiff in the church’s history.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” Trump wrote. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country.”

Trump added, “I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Trump, who attended the funeral Mass for the late Pope Francis on April 26, had also stirred some controversy during the official days of mourning for the late pontiff by posting an image depicting himself as pope. The image, apparently generated by artificial intelligence, was also posted to the White House’s social media account.

In comments to reporters at the White House, Trump said, “It’s such a great honor for our country, an American pope, and what greater honor can there be.”

Trump called himself “a little bit surprised” at Pope Leo’s election, but repeated it was an “absolutely great honor.”

Former President Joe Biden, the second Catholic to hold that office, wrote on X, “Habemus papam – May God bless Pope Leo XIV of Illinois.”

“Jill and I congratulate him and wish him success,” Biden said.

Former President Barack Obama said on X that he and former first lady Michelle Obama “send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.”

“This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith,” Obama said.

Former President George W. Bush said in a statement that he and former first lady Laura Bush “are delighted to congratulate former Cardinal Robert Prevost on his election to the papacy.”

“This an historic and hopeful moment for Catholics in America and for the faithful around the world,” Bush said. “We join those praying for the success of Pope Leo XIV as he prepares to lead the Catholic church, serve the neediest, and share God’s love.”

Vice President JD Vance, the second Catholic to hold that office, wrote on X, “Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election!”

“I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!” said Vance, who met with Pope Francis on Easter, the day before the late pontiff’s death April 21.

The U.S.-born Pope Leo comes into the papacy at a time when the U.S. church has faced significant challenges with respect to the Trump administration’s policies on migration and refugees. However, Catholic Relief Services’ president and CEO Sean Callahan described Pope Leo as a leader who is “voice for the voiceless and a fierce supporter of human dignity for all people.”

In social media posts prior to becoming pontiff, then-Cardinal Prevost shared posts on X critical of the Trump administration’s immigration policy. In February, he shared an opinion piece from the National Catholic Reporter titled “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others,” a reference to the vice president’s comments about the Catholic theological concept of the “ordo amoris” (the order of love or charity) — a subject that Pope Francis decided to address directly, without naming Vance, in a public address to the U.S. bishops.

Catholic lawmakers from both parties also congratulated the new Pope Leo.

House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote on X, “Joyfully, people around the world have learned of a new Pope elected by one of the largest and most diverse conclaves ever – and the first American pope in history.”

“For many of us, the name Leo XIV happily brings to mind Leo XIII’s Rerum novarum which was a blessing for working people,” Pelosi added. “And it is heartening that His Holiness continued the blessing that Pope Francis gave on Easter Sunday: “God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail.”

“Rerum Novarum” (on capital and labor) is an 1891 encyclical by Pope Leo XIII. It is considered the starting point of modern social teaching by the popes.

Pelosi also quoted previous comments from the new pope: “We can be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges, that is always open to receive everyone.”

“Let us thank God for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and for this vision of unity,” she said. “All of us hope and pray for the success of His Holiness and his vision for the Church.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, wrote on X, “Blessings to Pope Leo XIV, our first American Pope, on his selection to serve as the Bishop of Rome.”

“May he receive guidance from Jesus Christ our Lord and inspire the global community of Catholics and all people by sharing the message of God’s unconditional love,” she said.

Lawmakers of other faith traditions also congratulated the new pope.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X, “May God bless the first American papacy in these historic days.”

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., wrote on X that Pope Leo grew up in Dolton, Illinois, within the district she represents.

“I wish Pope Leo XIV wisdom and integrity as he leads the Church toward greater inclusion, stronger faith, and love for all,” she wrote.

Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., also noted Pope Leo’s ties to the Prairie State in a post on X.

“A historic moment as we witness the first American leading the Catholic Church,” he wrote. “Hailing from Chicago, Pope Leo XIV ushers in a new chapter that I join those in our state welcoming in at a time when we need compassion, unity, and peace.”

Former House Speaker John Boehner, a Catholic Republican who was in office when the late Pope Francis delivered his historic 2015 address to a joint session of Congress, wrote on X that while that moment “was a big deal,” he said, “This is seismic.”

“May God Bless Pope Leo XIV, and through him, bring His light to the world,” Boehner said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Even before he stepped out on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and spoke May 8, Pope Leo XIV’s choice of a name was a powerful statement.

Following Pope Francis, who chose a completely new name in church history, Pope Leo opted for a name steeped in tradition that also conveys an openness to engaging with the modern world.

The pope’s choice of name is a “direct recall of the social doctrine of the church and of the pope that initiated the modern social doctrine of the church,” Matteo Bruni, director Vatican press office told reporters after the election of the new pope.

Pope Leo XIII, who was pope from 1878-1903, is known for publishing the encyclical “Rerum Novarum” on worker’s rights – considered the foundational document for the church’s social teaching. The document emphasized the dignity of workers and condemned the dangers of unchecked capitalism and socialism.

The name Leo is a “direct” reference to “men and women and their work, also in the time of artificial intelligence,” Bruni said.

Pope Leo XIII also opened the Vatican secret archives to scholars, founded the Vatican observatory to demonstrate the church’s openness to science and was the first pope to be filmed on a motion picture camera.

Tied to the new pope’s first words to the faithful: “May peace be with you all,” his namesake Pope Leo XIII was also a peacemaker who reconciled the church with the governments of France, Russia, Germany and Great Britain during his pontificate.

Pope Leo’s name also has a Marian significance, since Pope Leo XIII wrote 11 encyclicals on the rosary and was also the first pope to embrace the concept of Mary as mediatrix, which holds that Mary helps distribute Christ’s grace through her intercession.

The first pope who took the name Leo became pope in 440. Known as “Leo the Great,” he promoted the doctrine of papal primacy based on succession from St. Peter and was a peacemaker who convinced Atilla the Hun to turn back from invading Italy in 452.

Pope Leo X, pope from 1513-1521, was the last pope to not have been a priest at the time of his election to the papacy.

The new pope’s predecessor, Pope Francis, was the first pontiff since Pope Lando in 913 to choose an entirely new papal name. Before him, Pope John Paul I, elected in 1978, also broke with tradition by forgoing a numeral, though his name was a blend of his two immediate predecessors’ names.

By contrast, Leo is among the most frequently taken names by a pope, with only Benedict, Gregory and John having been chosen more often. Of the 13 previous popes named Leo, five are canonized as saints.

(OSV News) – The following is the full text of the “urbi et orbi” blessing given by Pope Leo XIV after his election May 8, 2025. 

“Peace be with you all!”

Beloved brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who has given his life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, reach your families, to all people, wherever they may be, to all peoples, to all the earth.

“Peace be with you!”

This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a disarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally. We still retain in our ears that weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis blessing Rome!

The pope blessing Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the whole world, that morning of Easter Day. Let me follow up on that same blessing: God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God’s hands. Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and each other — let us go forward. We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us.

The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as the bridge to be reached by God and his love. Help us also, and then help each other to build bridges, with dialogue, with encounter, uniting us all to be one people always at peace. Thank you Pope Francis!

I also want to thank all my brother cardinals who have chosen me to be Successor of Peter and walk together with you, as a united Church always seeking peace, justice, always seeking to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.

I am a son of St. Augustine, an Augustinian, who said, “For you I am a bishop, with you, I am a Christian.” In this sense we can all walk together toward that homeland that God has prepared.

To the Church of Rome, a special greeting! We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to receive, like this square, with open arms. Everyone, everyone who needs our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.

[In Spanish] And if you allow me a word, a greeting to everyone and especially to my dear Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith and has given so much, so much to continue to be a faithful Church of Jesus Christ.

To all of you, brothers and sisters from Rome, from Italy, from all over the world, we want to be a synodal Church, a church that walks, a church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer.

Today is the day of Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii. Our Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, be close, help us with her intercession and love.

So I would like to pray together with you. Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole church, for peace in the world, and let us ask Mary, our Mother, for this special grace.

Ave Maria…

(OSV News) – Catholic groups are welcoming Pope Leo XIV — the second pope from the Americas, and the first U.S.-born pontiff — who was elected May 8, the second day of the papal conclave.

Catholic Relief Services, the official humanitarian agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S., released a statement moments after Pope Leo had delivered his “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.

CRS president and CEO Sean Callahan said the agency was “overjoyed by the election of Pope Leo XIV and look forward to his leadership and guidance.”

Callahan called the election of the first U.S.-born pope “a momentous occasion for American Catholics,” adding that “as the humanitarian organization for the U.S. Church, CRS is proud to mark his historic election.”

The former Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, a Chicago native, most recently served as the prefect for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops. Prior to that appointment, he was the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, having lived there for more than two decades.

Callahan said that “global experience will surely have an impact on his papacy.”

“He has seen, firsthand, the struggles that our sisters and brothers around the world are experiencing,” Callahan said. “We are confident that he will be a voice for the voiceless and a fierce supporter of human dignity for all people.”

Callahan added that the new pope’s election “comes at a critical time for the global Church, as communities around the world navigate challenges such as increasing hunger, environmental degradation and migration crisis.”

“As an organization committed to upholding dignity for every person, CRS stands ready to support the new Holy Father and continue working in communion with the global Church to build a more just, compassionate world,” said Callahan.

In a May 8 statement, Msgr. Roger J. Landry, National Director of The Pontifical Mission Societies USA, said Pope Leo had “a missionary at heart,” and was one who “served for many years as a priest and bishop bringing Christ and his Gospel to the people in rural Peru.”

The societies, which operate at the service of the pope, consist of four mission societies designated as pontifical by Pope Pius XI in 1922, and serve 1,124 missionary dioceses and territories worldwide.

“We commit ourselves to praying for him (Pope Leo) and his intentions as he continues the work of Peter as a fisher of men throughout the globe,” said Msgr. Landry.

Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, said in a May 8 statement the agency “gives thanks to God and the prompting of the Holy Spirit as we rejoice” over Pope Leo’s election.

An agency of the Holy See and headquartered in New York, CNEWA was founded to work for, through and with the Eastern churches, connecting people of good will in building the church, affirming human dignity, alleviating poverty, advancing dialogue and inspiring hope.

“We assure him (Pope Leo) of our prayers and our loyalty as we strive, following his words, to dedicate our mission in promoting the peace of the Risen Christ,” Msgr. Vaccari said.

Curtis Martin, founder of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, also known as FOCUS missionaries, said in a statement that Pope Leo’s election serves as “a powerful reminder that the Church is alive.”

“The world’s attention during the conclave and the growing number of conversions today are clear signs of a renewed hunger for truth and meaning,” Martin said.

He added, “May we be inspired with fresh zeal to live as missionary disciples and bring the hope of the Gospel to a world longing for light.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, was elected the 267th pope May 8 and took the name Pope Leo XIV.

He is the first North American to be elected pope and, before the conclave, was the U.S. cardinal most mentioned as a potential successor of St. Peter.

The white smoke poured from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel at 6:07 p.m. Rome time and a few minutes later the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began to ring.

About 20 minutes later the Vatican police band and two dozen members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard marched into St. Peter’s Square. They soon were joined by the marching band of the Italian Carabinieri, a branch of military police, and by units of the other branches of the Italian military.

As soon as news began to spread, people from all over Rome ran to join the tens of thousands who were already in the square for the smoke watch. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri was among them.

French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at 7:12 p.m. He told the crowd: “I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope (‘Habemus papam’),” saying the cardinal’s name in Latin and announcing the name by which he will be called.

Twenty minutes later, the new Pope Leo came out onto the balcony, smiling and waving to the crowd wearing the white papal cassock, a red mozzetta or cape and a red stole to give his first public blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world).

The crowd shouted repeatedly, “Viva il papa” or “Long live the pope” as Pope Leo’s eyes appeared to tear up.

“Peace be with you,” were Pope Leo’s first words to the crowd.

“My dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God’s flock,” he said, praying that Christ’s peace would enter people’s hearts, their families and “the whole earth.”

The peace of the risen Lord, he said, is “a peace that is unarmed and disarming.”

Signaling strong continuity with the papacy of Pope Francis, Pope Leo told the crowd that God “loves all of us unconditionally” and that the church must be open to everyone.

“We are all in God’s hands,” he said, so “without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other, let us go forward.”

He thanked the cardinals who elected him, apparently on the fourth ballot of the conclave, “to be the successor of Peter and to walk with you as a united church always seeking peace, justice” and together being missionary disciples of Christ.

Telling the crowd that he was an Augustinian, he quoted St. Augustine, who said, “With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop.”

“Together we must try to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges and always dialogues, that is always open to receiving everyone like this square with its arms open to everyone, everyone in need,” he said.

The new bishop of Rome told the people of his diocese and of the whole Catholic Church, “We want to be a synodal church, a church that journeys, a church that seeks peace always, that always seeks charity, that wants to be close to people, especially those who are suffering.”

After asking the crowd to recite the Hail Mary with him, Pope Leo gave his first solemn blessing.

Cardinals over the age of 80, who were not eligible to enter the conclave, joined the crowd in the square. Among them were Cardinals Seán P. O’Malley, the retired archbishop of Boston; Donald W. Wuerl, the retired archbishop of Washington; and Marc Ouellet, retired prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

A longtime missionary in Peru, the 69-year-old pope holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship.

La Repubblica, the major Italian daily, described him April 25 as “cosmopolitan and shy,” but also said he was “appreciated by conservatives and progressives. He has global visibility in a conclave in which few (cardinals) know each other.”

That visibility comes from the fact that as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops for the past two years, he was instrumental in helping Pope Francis choose bishops for many Latin-rite dioceses, he met hundreds of bishops during their “ad limina” visits to Rome and was called to assist the world’s Latin-rite bishops “in all matters concerning the correct and fruitful exercise of the pastoral office entrusted to them.”

The new pope was serving as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, when Pope Francis called him to the Vatican in January 2023.

During a talk at St. Jude Parish in Chicago in August, the then-cardinal said Pope Francis nominated him “specifically because he did not want someone from the Roman Curia to take on this role. He wanted a missionary; he wanted someone from outside; he wanted someone who would come in with a different perspective.”

In a March 2024 interview with Catholic News Service, he said Pope Francis’ decision in 2022 to name three women as full members of the dicastery, giving them input on the selection of bishops “contributes significantly to the process of discernment in looking for who we hope are the best candidates to serve the church in episcopal ministry.”

To deter attitudes of clericalism among bishops, he said, “it’s important to find men who are truly interested in serving, in preaching the Gospel, not just with eloquent words, but rather with the example and witness they give.”

In fact, the cardinal said, Pope Francis’ “most effective and important” bulwark against clericalism was his being “a pastor who preaches by gesture.”

In an interview in 2023 with Vatican News, then-Cardinal Prevost spoke about the essential leadership quality of a bishop.

“Pope Francis has spoken of four types of closeness: closeness to God, to brother bishops, to priests and to all God’s people,” he said. “One must not give in to the temptation to live isolated, separated in a palace, satisfied with a certain social level or a certain level within the church.”

“And we must not hide behind an idea of authority that no longer makes sense today,” he said. “The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers.”

As prefect of the dicastery then-Cardinal Prevost also served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, where nearly 40% of the world’s Catholics reside.

A Chicago native, he also served as prior general of the Augustinians and spent more than two decades serving in Peru, first as an Augustinian missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo.

Soon after coming to Rome to head the dicastery, he told Vatican News that bishops have a special mission of promoting the unity of the church.

“The lack of unity is a wound that the church suffers, a very painful one,” he said in May 2023. “Divisions and polemics in the church do not help anything. We bishops especially must accelerate this movement toward unity, toward communion in the church.”

In September, a television program in Peru reported on the allegations of three women who said that then-Bishop Prevost failed to act against a priest who sexually abused them as minors. The diocese strongly denied the accusation, pointing out that he personally met with the victims in April 2022, removed the priest from his parish, suspended him from ministry and conducted a local investigation that was then forwarded to the Vatican. The Vatican said there was insufficient evidence to proceed, as did the local prosecutor’s office.

Pope Leo was born Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Augustinian-run Villanova University in Pennsylvania and joined the order in 1977, making his solemn vows in 1981. He holds a degree in theology from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

He joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and largely worked in the country until 1999 when he was elected head of the Augustinians’ Chicago-based province. From 2001 to 2013, he served as prior general of the worldwide order. In 2014, Pope Francis named him bishop of Chiclayo, in northern Peru, and the pope asked him also to be apostolic administrator of Callao, Peru, from April 2020 to May 2021.

The new pope speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and can read Latin and German.

 

SCRANTON – On May 8, 2025, the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, released the following statement on the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, as the new Pope, who has chosen the papal name Leo XIV:

“Today is a day of great joy and thanksgiving in the life of the Church as we welcome a new Successor to the See of Saint Peter. I invite all the faithful of the Diocese of Scranton to join me in fervently praying for our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who has been chosen today by the College of Cardinals as the 267^th Pope.

“While the election of Pope Leo XIV is historic as the first North American to be elected Pope, his vast missionary experience of walking among the poor and serving those on the margins with humility, will serve him well as he echoes Christ’s call of going forth and making disciples of all nations to all people.

“With this selection, I believe the Cardinals have recognized the vibrancy, faithfulness, and strength of the Church in the United States. For generations, American Catholics have sought to embrace the Gospel with compassion – and having a shepherd chosen from among us is both humbling and affirming. It also speaks to the goodness that has grown in the church of North America – a goodness bearing fruit in service and evangelization.

“We entrust Pope Leo XIV to the care of the Holy Spirit. May his heart be open to divine guidance, and may he be filled with strength, wisdom, courage, insight, and compassion for the great responsibility that lies before him.

“This is a beautiful moment for our Church to show its unity. Let us remain united in prayer – and especially hope – in the weeks and months ahead as the 2025 Jubilee Year continues.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, was elected the 267th pope May 8 and took the name Pope Leo XIV.

He is the first North American to be elected pope and, before the conclave, was the U.S. cardinal most mentioned as a potential successor of St. Peter.

The white smoke poured from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel at 6:07 p.m. Rome time and a few minutes later the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began to ring.

About 20 minutes later the Vatican police band and two dozen members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard marched into St. Peter’s Square. They soon were joined by the marching band of the Italian Carabinieri, a branch of military police, and by units of the other branches of the Italian military.

As soon as news began to spread, people from all over Rome ran to join the tens of thousands who were already in the square for the smoke watch. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri was among them.

French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at 7:12 p.m. He told the crowd: “I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope (‘Habemus papam’),” saying the cardinal’s name in Latin and announcing the name by which he will be called.

Cardinals over the age of 80, who were not eligible to enter the conclave, joined the crowd in the square. Among them were Cardinals Seán P. O’Malley, the retired archbishop of Boston; Donald W. Wuerl, the retired archbishop of Washington; and Marc Ouellet, retired prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

A longtime missionary in Peru, the 69-year-old pope holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship.

La Repubblica, the major Italian daily, described him April 25 as “cosmopolitan and shy,” but also said he was “appreciated by conservatives and progressives. He has global visibility in a conclave in which few (cardinals) know each other.”

That visibility comes from the fact that as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops for the past two years, he was instrumental in helping Pope Francis choose bishops for many Latin-rite dioceses, he met hundreds of bishops during their “ad limina” visits to Rome and was called to assist the world’s Latin-rite bishops “in all matters concerning the correct and fruitful exercise of the pastoral office entrusted to them.”

The new pope was serving as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, when Pope Francis called him to the Vatican in January 2023.

During a talk at St. Jude Parish in Chicago in August, the then-cardinal said Pope Francis nominated him “specifically because he did not want someone from the Roman Curia to take on this role. He wanted a missionary; he wanted someone from outside; he wanted someone who would come in with a different perspective.”

In a March 2024 interview with Catholic News Service, he said Pope Francis’ decision in 2022 to name three women as full members of the dicastery, giving them input on the selection of bishops “contributes significantly to the process of discernment in looking for who we hope are the best candidates to serve the church in episcopal ministry.”

To deter attitudes of clericalism among bishops, he said, “it’s important to find men who are truly interested in serving, in preaching the Gospel, not just with eloquent words, but rather with the example and witness they give.”

In fact, the cardinal said, Pope Francis’ “most effective and important” bulwark against clericalism was his being “a pastor who preaches by gesture.”

In an interview in 2023 with Vatican News, then-Cardinal Prevost spoke about the essential leadership quality of a bishop.

“Pope Francis has spoken of four types of closeness: closeness to God, to brother bishops, to priests and to all God’s people,” he said. “One must not give in to the temptation to live isolated, separated in a palace, satisfied with a certain social level or a certain level within the church.”

“And we must not hide behind an idea of authority that no longer makes sense today,” he said. “The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers.”

As prefect of the dicastery then-Cardinal Prevost also served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, where nearly 40% of the world’s Catholics reside.

A Chicago native, he also served as prior general of the Augustinians and spent more than two decades serving in Peru, first as an Augustinian missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo.

Soon after coming to Rome to head the dicastery, he told Vatican News that bishops have a special mission of promoting the unity of the church.

“The lack of unity is a wound that the church suffers, a very painful one,” he said in May 2023. “Divisions and polemics in the church do not help anything. We bishops especially must accelerate this movement toward unity, toward communion in the church.”

In September, a television program in Peru reported on the allegations of three women who said that then-Bishop Prevost failed to act against a priest who sexually abused them as minors. The diocese strongly denied the accusation, pointing out that he personally met with the victims in April 2022, removed the priest from his parish, suspended him from ministry and conducted a local investigation that was then forwarded to the Vatican. The Vatican said there was insufficient evidence to proceed, as did the local prosecutor’s office.

Pope Leo was born Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Augustinian-run Villanova University in Pennsylvania and joined the order in 1977, making his solemn vows in 1981. He holds a degree in theology from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

He joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and largely worked in the country until 1999 when he was elected head of the Augustinians’ Chicago-based province. From 2001 to 2013, he served as prior general of the worldwide order. In 2014, Pope Francis named him bishop of Chiclayo, in northern Peru, and the pope asked him also to be apostolic administrator of Callao, Peru, from April 2020 to May 2021.

The new pope speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and can read Latin and German.

SCRANTON – The Diocese of Scranton will celebrate its annual Mother’s Day Adoption Mass on Sunday, May 11, at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton. This liturgy prayerfully recognizes all mothers, with a special emphasis on adoptive and foster mothers.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will serve as principal celebrant and homilist for the Mass.

The Mother’s Day Adoption Mass is open to the public and all faithful are invited to attend.

CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will broadcast the Mass live. A livestream will also be provided on the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel and across all Diocesan social media platforms.

Mark your calendars for May 11 and join us for the Mother’s Day Adoption Mass as we pray for mothers, near and far, including Mary, Mother of the Church.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – As expected, the 133 cardinals who entered the Sistine Chapel May 7 failed to elect the next pope on their first ballot.

After celebrating Mass for the election of a pope, processing into the Sistine Chapel and swearing a solemn oath of perpetual secrecy on the conclave proceedings, the cardinal electors cast their first ballot in the conclave.

The ballot, however, failed to reach the two-thirds supermajority, or 89 votes, that is required for a new pope to be elected. With the largest number of cardinal electors ever to vote in a conclave, and therefore the most votes to count, the black smoke arrived two hours later than the expected 7 p.m. Rome time.

Only one ballot was cast on the first day of the conclave. On following days, up to four ballots are cast each day. If, after three days of voting, they have not elected anyone, the cardinals can take a maximum on one day for prayer and informal discussion.

Pope Benedict XVI was elected on the fourth ballot of the 2005 conclave and Pope Francis was elected on the fifth ballot of the conclave in 2013.

An estimated 30,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square the first evening of the conclave even though they did not expect to see white smoke emerging from a chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that a pope had been elected.

Many were carrying flags – pilgrims waved the flags of the Philippines, Brazil, the United States and Nicaragua among others.

Maggie Popp from North Dakota, who was in St. Peter’s Square with her husband and two young children, told Catholic News Service that she planned to watch the smoke each night.

“We’re here as a family because it feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said. “We live here in Rome, so we figured it would be a great opportunity to bring our little boys to experience this, even if they won’t remember, and ultimately pray for whoever it is that we’re going to receive as a new Holy Father.”

Gabrielle Estrada from San Antonio, Texas, extended her trip through Europe to be in Rome for the conclave. “I grew up Catholic, so I remember watching the smoke on the TV growing up and thought it would be so cool to be here.”

As a young adult, she said, “I’m curious to see how he is going to incorporate young adults.”

Often, she said, “this is the time that people stray away from her faith, and I would love to see him put emphasis on that age group and get us excited about the history of our faith and everything that comes with it.”

“Rome, right now, is the center of the universe,” said Father Anthony Saiki, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, while gesturing at the throngs of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “In this moment, the church is incredibly united.”

“If anybody doubts the relevance of the faith, if anybody doubts the relevance of the Catholic Church,” he told CNS, “all eyes are on the church right now, all eyes are looking for the next successor of Peter, so it’s a moment of hope, it’s a moment of excitement and joy.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Invoking the help of the Holy Spirit and recognizing that millions of people all over the world were praying for them, 133 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel with a singular goal: to elect “a worthy pastor” for the universal church.

Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the top-ranking cardinal among the electors, led the cardinals in prayer at 4:30 p.m. May 7 in the Apostolic Palace’s Pauline Chapel, just a short distance from the Sistine Chapel.

“The whole church, united with us in prayer, insistently invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit so that a worthy pastor for the whole flock of Christ would be elected by us,” he told them.

“May the Lord direct our steps on the path of truth so that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy apostles Peter and Paul and all the saints, we may always do what is pleasing to him,” the cardinal prayed.

Behind altar servers carrying a cross and candles, priests assisting the cardinals processed toward the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals, walking two-by-two, followed in the reverse order of their rank within the College of Cardinals. Indian Cardinal George J. Koovakad and Italian Cardinal Fabio Baggio — cardinal deacons created by Pope Francis in December — were the first cardinals to cross the chapel’s threshold.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 were eligible to enter the conclave, but it still was the largest group of cardinal electors ever assembled. In 1975, St. Paul VI set a limit of 120 cardinal electors and ruled that cardinals over the age of 80 could not enter a conclave. When he died in 1978, 111 cardinals elected Pope John Paul I; there also were 111 electors at the 1978 conclave that chose St. John Paul II. After he died in 2005, 115 electors chose Pope Benedict XVI and when he resigned in 2013, there also were 115 cardinals in the conclave that elected Pope Francis.

Entering the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis’ successor, Cardinal Koovakad and the other cardinals from the Eastern Catholic churches wore their traditions’ “choral habit.” The Latin-rite cardinals were dressed in red cassocks with a white rochet over top, a mozzetta (a short cape), their pectoral crosses, a zucchetto (skull cap) and a biretta, the three-cornered red hat they received when they were made cardinals.

The cardinal electors began their walk to the Sistine Chapel chanting the Litany of Saints, which started with prayers that God would have pity on them. They then invoked the saints, archangels and ancient biblical prophets to pray for them. They pleaded for the aid of Christ, asking for his mercy and protection. They also prayed for those who have died and those threatened by hunger and war.

The cardinals asked God to give the world peace, to “comfort and enlighten” the church, help Christians reconcile with each other and to lead all people to the truth of the Gospel.

Once in the chapel, they called on the help of the Holy Spirit by singing the ancient hymn, “Veni Creator Spiritus” (“Come, Creator Spirit”).

Then the cardinals from more than 70 countries vowed that, if elected pope, they would faithfully fulfill the ministry of universal pastor of the church and would defend the rights and freedom of the Holy See.

They also solemnly swore to scrupulously follow the rules for the election of a pope and keep secret the results of the votes, unless they have express permission from the new pope to reveal details.

After reciting the oath together, each cardinal walked up to the Book of the Gospels, put his right hand on it, said his name and sealed his oath, “So help me God and these holy Gospels that I touch with my hand.”

The Book of the Gospels was open to the page with Matthew 4:12-23, which recounts Jesus calling his first disciples.

Cardinal Parolin took the oath first, followed by the cardinals in order of rank, ending with Cardinal Koovakad.

The portion broadcast by Vatican Media ended with Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, saying, “Extra omnes,” ordering out everyone not authorized to remain. The ceremony lasted about 75 minutes.

However, 90-year-old Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the retired preacher of the papal household, stayed behind. Before the conclave, the cardinals had chosen him to give a meditation “on the problems facing the church” and “on the need for careful discernment in choosing the new pope.”

The average age of the 133 cardinals was just over 70, slightly younger than the average age of electors who participated in the last conclave, in 2013, when the average age was close to 72.

Ten U.S. cardinals were among those filing into the Sistine Chapel: Cardinals Raymond L. Burke, retired prefect of the Apostolic Signature; Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Daniel N. DiNardo, retired archbishop of Galveston-Houston; Timothy M. Dolan of New York; Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life under Pope Francis; Wilton D. Gregory, retired archbishop of Washington; James M. Harvey, archpriest of Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls; Robert W. McElroy of Washington; Robert F. Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis; and Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey.