Pope Leo XIV – by Joe McVeigh

There was great excitement throughout the world and especially in Rome last week leading up to the election of the new Pope. The excitement and joy in St Peter’s square was palpable.

The 133 Cardinals, on the second day of voting, elected the new Pope more quickly than expected. He was Cardinal Robert (Bob) Prevost who was born in the United States. He was not among the front runners. When elected he took the name of Leo 14^th.  His choice of the name ‘Leo’ suggests that he wants to be identified with Pope Leo XIII who in 1891 wrote the famous encyclical about justice and workers’ rights Rerum Novarum. This makes sense -given his background as a missionary priest in South America.

I think he endeared himself to the crowds and the world as soon as he appeared on the balcony in St Peter’s with his humble and human demeanour and when he greeted all with the words ‘Peace be with you’ in Italian and then spoke in Spanish.

I believe Pope Leo XIV will carry on the work of Pope Francis, reaching out to the poor and marginalised, reminding us of our responsibility to protect the Earth for the future generations. He will not be afraid to challenge Governments, political leaders and Big Business about their responsibilities to care for the poor and for the earth.

He will continue to reform the structures of the Church through a process of Dialogue and listening begun by Pope Francis called Synodality. He will want to make the Church a place where women and young people feel wanted and needed.

I believe -from what I have heard about him – that he is a humble man and is devoted to missionary work, eager to speak the truth to power and to spread the Good News of the gospel.

Pope Leo was born in Chicago in 1955, joined the Augustinian order in 19 75 and was ordained priest in 1982. He spent most of his life as a missionary priest in Peru in South America. He obviously made an impact as a priest in the life of the Church in Peru and was appointed by Pope Francis to be bishop of Chiclayo in Peru in 2014. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him to be head of the Dicastery for appointing bishops and he came to live in the Vatican. A few months later he was made a Cardinal by Pope Francis.

I think it was his experience as a missionary priest in Latin America and his experience as leader of the Augustinian order for two terms that impressed the other Cardinals and convinced the majority that he was the best man to succeed the charismatic Pope Francis. 

I believe that his experience as a Missionary in Peru living amongst the poor will greatly influence his approach as leader of the Catholic Church in this divided world. So too will the theology of liberation which is based on the Scriptures.

Pope Leo XIV has a big task ahead of him but he seems to be calm and serene and deeply spiritual. Anyone who knows him says that he is ‘a good listener’. 

Pope Leo spoke about the need to build bridges. The traditional title ‘Pontiff’ means ‘ bridge –builder’. In our divided Church he will need to reach out to women in the church who are seeking equal recognition. He should show he is serious about bridge- building by changing the sexist language in the Liturgy. He will need to continue the dialogue with women about their role in the Church. He will also need to deal with the clericalism that has resulted in authoritarianism and exclusion. He will need to do something about the ostentatious wealth of the Vatican.

There is a great need at this time for a spiritual leader on the world stage who speaks the truth to those in power. He has already spoken out against the US policy on Migration. We expect that he will continue to speak out calmly and forcefully against all forms of injustice and State violence.

I think he will want to be a peace-maker and a peace-builder. Given the state of the world, he will need to be courageous in challenging political leaders to work to bring about peace in the many countries where there is war and oppression.

It should be said that not everybody who lives in this part of Ireland shares in the joy of those of us who are happy about the election of a new Pope. There are die-hards who want to live in the past. These anti-Catholic people are opposed to all efforts to bring about peace on this island so that people of all traditions can live together with respect for difference. The die-hards showed their true colours recently in Lisburn after it was announced that Pope Francis had died. It is time for Orange leaders to condemn such intolerance and disrespect. That day is gone.

A new day is dawning.