Christians in Pakistan welcomed new leader of the Catholic Church with joy and great hope, as 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected in a surprise choice as the first USA-born pontiff and will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
The new Bishop of Rome appeared on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City after white smoke billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signifying the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church. “I would like peace to reach your families, all peoples, all the earth,” Pope Leo said while speaking in Italian, then switching to Spanish.
“Peace be with you. A disarmed, disarming, and humble peace. God loves us all, unconditionally,” he told the cheering crowd. “Evil will not prevail: we are all in God’s hands. The world needs his light. Help us build bridges, with dialogue, to always be at peace.” The pope’s election prompted an outpouring of congratulations from world leaders, who expressed eagerness to work with the pontiff on global issues.
Robert Prevost was elected as pontiff by at least two-thirds of the 133 cardinal voters. He was made a cardinal in 2023 and presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms the late Pope Francis made, when he added three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope. Earlier, he was appointed to the Dicastery for Bishops, which oversees selection of bishops from around the world.
Pope Leo’s priority will be to strengthen church’s unity amid differing views
Pope Leo plays an important role on the world stage, aiming to ensure that religion does not become a faultline. The new leader’s priority will be to strengthen the church’s unity amid differing views and expectations within the institution and growing polarization in the wider world. Ahead of the conclave, some cardinals called for continuity with the late pope’s vision of greater openness and reform, while others said they wanted to turn back the clock and embrace old traditions.
In his social media post, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres extended heartfelt congratulations to Pope Leo XIV and Catholics around the world. “Our world is in need of the strongest voices for peace, social justice, human dignity and compassion,” he said. “I look forward to building on the long legacy of cooperation between the UN and the Holy See to advance solidarity, foster reconciliation and build a just and sustainable world for all,” he said in his message.
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development Director Christine Allen said that Pope Leo would be a voice of wisdom in a fractured and divided world as he continues the important work of leading the church in the world and providing spiritual and moral guidance to the global community. She said that the world needs a strong and steadfast moral voice that can draw attention to the most important issues in the world – the crippling debt crisis; the climate crisis and the conflicts blighting the world.
Jubilee USA Network executive director Eric LeCompte said that his religious development group who advises Vatican and Catholic church leadership expected Pope Leo to follow the path that the late Pope Francis set to build a more inclusive and transparent church. “The selection of the name of Leo XIV is a special acknowledgment of the need to support the poor and workers,” he said.
