White smoke this evening heralded the election of the first American pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost. He is the least American of all the U.S. cardinals having spent years in Peru as a missionary bishop. As head of the Dicastery for Bishops for the past two years, he is probably better known by more of the cardinals. Perhaps that played a role in his election. At any rate we have a pope, Leo XIV.
I've been reading about his background:
- Speaks four languages fluently: English, Spanish, Italian, and Latin
- Ordained as an Augustinian in 1982
- Canon lawyer
- Served as a missionary in Peru, taught at the seminary, and served as bishop of Chiclayo from 2015-2023
- Has a reputation for being thoughtful and reserved rather than a chatty gadfly like Pope Francis. Hopefully we won't see any more bombshell interviews on airplanes and off the cuff remarks that create confusion and chaos.
- I read that he prefers the Traditional Latin Mass, but haven't found anything to indicate he's offered a public Mass since he became bishop.
And now I think it's time to just pray. Things will come out that will make people happy or unhappy or concerned or optimistic. I've already had some hit comments on the pope which I'm not posting. It's time to watch and pray. If Pope Leo has some things in his past that are problematic, let us pray he will show the same spirit as Thomas Becket who completely converted when he was named Archbishop of Canterbury. The pope's record as a missionary, a seminary teacher, encouraging vocations, head of the Augustinians for a time -- those things remind me of Archbishop Lefebvre's bio. Can we hope he will show the same zeal for the faith, the priesthood, and the Mass that Archbishop Lefebvre showed? Hope and trust in God is what we need right now as well as prayer and fasting for Papa Leo. May God give him all he needs to be a saint.
Lord Jesus, Head of the Church, have mercy on us.
Our Lady, Queen of the Clergy, pray for Pope Leo and for us.
The choice of the name chosen by the new Pope Leo XIV, speaks for itself. This is an obvious reference to Pope Leo XIII, it is not coincidence, rather it is a declaration……name that in the history of the Church meant strong leadership in very difficult times.
ReplyDeletePope Leo XIII was a zealous opponent of Communism, Socialism, Freemasonry, Anarchism. He was a pope of strong principles and of wise understanding of the situation in the Church, and the world.
Pope Leo XIV may not change everything, but we pray that he at least will give space to the faithful Catholics to believe and practice what the Catholic Church always taught and practiced, without feeling like you always have to explain it.
There’s a great hope that this pontificate might be for the Glory of God, for the glory of the holy Mother Church, for the glory of the Immaculata, for the good of savings souls, especially his own. So be it, so help him (us) God!.
I hope you're right. I also love the name he chose. But, of course, the liberals are talking about Leo as the social justice pope, the reformer. So it all depends on how you define those terms. I will be praying for our new pope every day. I am guardedly optimistic and grateful that Parolin or someone worse wasn't elected.
DeleteOne big concern is Pope Leo retweeting anti-gun and anti-Trump/Vance immigration articles from the National Catholic Reporter on his X account. I'm always leery about folks who get their information from the mainstream secular media and the liberal Catholic press. Keep praying!
DeleteAnonymous 8:15:
DeleteAmen!
100%
Mary Ann 8:45:
DeleteI came across this past quote from now Pope Leo XIV on the topic of female ordination …
“"The apostolic tradition is something that has been spelled out very clearly, especially if you want to talk about the question of women’s ordination to the priesthood."
So simple.
So clean.
For whatever reason, my initial reaction in the moment was strongly positive.
ReplyDeleteBishop Strickland had this to say, which I endorse:
“With the election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the Church enters a new chapter in her pilgrimage through history. We entrust the Holy Father to the guidance of the Holy Ghost and the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying that he may faithfully uphold the Deposit of Faith and confirm his brethren in the truth. In these difficult times, may all of us – clergy and laity alike – remain steadfast in our love for Christ, His Church, and the Sacred Traditions handed down through the ages."
Amen to that!
God bless our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV!
Very happy, today.
Robert Prevost, in his first words as the new Pope Leo XIV:
ReplyDelete"Peace be with you all. Dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for the flock of God. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts to reach your families to all people everywhere to all the earth: peace be with you."
That is a very good thing - to proclaim the risen Lord in the genesis, the first words, of this Pontificate. May I be as bold and as faithful in my life to proclaim always Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity - God with us!
“O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, mercifully look upon Thy Servant, Leo XIV, whom Thou hast chosen as the chief Shepherd to preside over Thy Church; grant him, we beseech Thee, so to edify, both by word and example, those over whom he hath charge, that he may attain unto everlasting life, together with the flock committed to him. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Raccolta, prayers for the Sovereign Pontiff).
From the first homily, given in the Sistine Chapel to the College of Cardinals, by Pope Leo XIV:
ReplyDelete“Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16).”
And
“ Saint Ignatius, who was led in chains to this city, the place of his impending sacrifice, wrote to the Christians there: "Then I will truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ, when the world no longer sees my body" (Letter to the Romans, IV, 1). Ignatius was speaking about being devoured by wild beasts in the arena – and so it happened – but his words apply more generally to an indispensable commitment for all those in the Church who exercise a ministry of authority. It is to move aside so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small so that he may be known and glorified (cf. Jn 3:30), to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love him.
May God grant me this grace, today and always, through the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church.
As “New Catholic” observes at his Rorate Caeli blog: “ No buzzwords, just Christ-God. Christological, Christ-centered, Patristic.”
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2025/05/inaugural-sermon-of-leo-xiv-sistine.html?m=1
But no matter what … Pope Leo XIV was elected validly, is now the Vicar of Christ, Viceroy of Heaven (my preferred way of seeing him). We are children, he is our father and we owe proper, legal, willful obedience within the bounds of Sacred Tradition. Thanks be to God!
I forgot to tag the above comment under Aqua, my screen name.
DeleteHere is a link to the first homily of Pope Leo XIV, to the assembled Cardinals in the holy Sistine Chapel
https://youtu.be/lYhfqwFaHTc