Editorial
The New Pope and His Message
Opinion | Editorial | John S. Shilshi | 12-May-2025
This time, 1.39 billion Catholics across the globe were fortunate to see the white smoke come out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on the second day as Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected by the cardinal conclave in the fourth round of voting, one less than his predecessor, Pope Francis. The wait for that all-important announcement of “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam,” which means, “I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope,” therefore, was a short one as compared to some of the elections in the past, the longest in history being when Gregory X was elected as Pope in 1271, which took a grueling two years, nine months, and two days.
Not long after Cardinal Dominique Mamberti of France broke the news to a thunderous applause from a multitude of people waiting in St. Peter’s Square and billions watching on television, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who by then had chosen to be named Pope Leo XIV, appeared in person, filled with emotions that were visibly written on his face. He took a few minutes to greet the cheering crowd, many shedding tears of joy, while the cardinals who elevated him to the position looked on from the balconies, again happiness written on their faces. Thus, the writing of another chapter in Catholic history began.
The new Pope began his greetings to the waiting crowd with a salutation: Peace be with all of you! He then went on,
“Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the faithful shepherd who gave his life for God's flock. I want this peaceful greeting to reach you, your families, and everyone on Earth. Peace be with you! This harmony is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, the God who loves us all unconditionally. We still hear the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis as he blessed Rome! The Pope who blessed Rome, gave his blessing to the world, to the entire world, that Easter morning. Allow me to follow up on that same blessing: God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail!”
He reminded them that all are in the hands of God. Therefore, we must move together as disciples of Christ without fear because the world needs the light of Christ; humanity needs Christ as a bridge to enable God’s love to reach them. “Thank you, Pope Francis,” he said, and also thank the cardinals for choosing him as the successor of St. Peter. He announced that he is a son of Saint Augustine, therefore an Augustinian, who said, "With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop", thereby calling upon every Christian to walk together to that homeland that God has prepared for us.
While extending his greetings to all, the Pope also made special mention for his beloved diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where the faithful, he said, had journeyed with him as disciples of Jesus Christ. “To all of you, brothers and sisters of Rome, of Italy, of the whole world, we want to be a Church of the Synod, 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,” he said, and urged the people to pray together with him for peace in the world. He ended his first message to the world with a prayer to Mother Mary.
In his first formal address to the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV has revealed the inspiration behind the name he chose - one which, in his own words, echoes the Church’s enduring commitment to human dignity and social justice. We may recall that Pope Leo XIII, with the historic Encyclical Rerum novarum, addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. Pope Leo recalled. “Today, the Church offers her wealth of social teaching to everyone in response to the latest industrial revolution and advancements in artificial intelligence.” He said the church is not only traditional but also forward-looking, ready to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world and the ongoing need to protect the most vulnerable.
Pope Leo XIV also told the cardinals that the days that preceded his election had been marked by mourning, as the Church bid farewell to Pope Francis. Recognizing the emotional weight of that farewell, the Pope described the death of the beloved Pope Francis and the subsequent Conclave as “a paschal event,” one enveloped in the light of the Resurrection. He remembers Pope Francis’ simplicity, his radical dedication to service, and his peaceful return to the Father’s House, and he called upon his Cardinal brothers to treasure this precious legacy and resume the journey. On the road ahead, Pope Leo XIV reiterated the path set in motion by the Second Vatican Council, a path renewed and reinterpreted under Pope Francis. He highlighted key themes from Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium: the primacy of Christ, synodality, popular piety, care for the poor, and courageous engagement with the world.
Pope Leo's roadmap seemed to have been quite clearly cut out in choosing a name after a pope who was the father of the Catholic Social Teachings and strongly entrenched in the principles of the man he succeeded. Although he was born in America, there is no doubt that the new Pope is well aware of poverty, exclusion, and isolation due to his firsthand experiences from his missionary life in Peru. We are, therefore, hopeful that the new Pope would understand and appreciate the plights of the poor and the downtrodden better than anyone else would. We join him in prayers!
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