When the 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost on Would possibly 8, 2025, gave the impression at the major balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the primary time as Pope Leo XIV, he used to be cheered loudly via the massive crowd of pilgrims, vacationers, native Catholics and different onlookers, who had waited hours for the primary signal of white smoke and the authentic announcement.
As a expert in Catholic historical past and formality, I understand how necessary this second used to be for Catholics and others far and wide the arena. A brand new pope brings with him a way of pleasure continuously blended with uncertainty.
However the selection of the Faculty of Cardinals got here as a marvel to a few. Prevost is the primary pope from the USA, and, historically, the Eu-dominated Faculty of Cardinals has had reservations about opting for a cardinal from the U.S. for concern of an excessive amount of American affect within the church.
So, who’s Prevost and what may have influenced the cardinals’ vote?
Early studies
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost joined a Catholic spiritual order on the age of 20: the Order of St. Augustine, known as Augustinians, based within the thirteenth century. As an alternative of chickening out from the arena in remoted monasteries, participants of this order traveled as mendicants to assist the deficient in addition to function missionaries and academics.
Prevost studied theology each within the U.S. and in Rome and, as a newly ordained priest, spent a yr in Peru. After a brief go back to the U.S. as an authentic of the Augustinian order in Illinois, he returned to Peru as a seminary professor to show canon legislation, the felony construction of the Catholic Church. He would keep in Peru for the following 10 years.
In 1999, he become the prior – this is, the top – of the native Augustinian province in Chicago, and used to be later elected prior of the global Augustinian order. This gave him a in point of fact international enjoy, for the reason that Augustinians had some 50 communities unfold throughout each and every continent.
In 2015, Pope Francis appointed him bishop for the diocese of Chiclayo in Peru. In 2019, Francis appointed him a member of a number of necessary Vatican dicasteries, or departments, the place he become very conversant in the central church management. Most significantly, he served as prefect – or chairman – at the Dicastery for Bishops.
Catholics hang a photograph of newly elected Pope Leo XIV, in entrance of the Cathedral of Chiclayo, Peru, on Would possibly 8, 2025, the place he served as bishop for a number of years.
AP Picture/Manuel Medina
In reality, as a result of his long pastoral enjoy in Peru and repair on the Vatican, some commentators had famous ahead of Prevost used to be selected that, if the cardinals have been to elect an American pope, it might be him. His carrier at the Dicastery for Bishops used to be thought to be particularly necessary, since participants play a key function in deciding on new bishops.
International church
All over the 20 th century, particularly after the 2d Vatican Council – a sequence of conferences of the arena’s bishops to modernize the church, finishing in 1965 – the popes started to call cardinals from different portions of the arena that have been up to now thought to be to be at the outer edge of the Catholic Church.
And this resulted in popes being selected from out of doors of Italy for the primary time in centuries. Pope St. John Paul II used to be Polish and the primary non-Italian pope for the reason that sixteenth century. Pope Benedict XVI used to be every other non-Italian, born in Germany, who had served as a Vatican authentic. Pope Francis used to be born in South The united states to oldsters who have been Italian-born immigrants to Argentina.
The Faculty of Cardinals, which had few representatives from different continents till just lately, is now a lot more world. Some 80% of the cardinal-electors have been named via Francis, many from international locations that had by no means ahead of had a cardinal.
In reviewing his report, the cardinal-electors may have taken a lot of components under consideration. Prevost could be an efficient administrator as head of the church, and used to be a professional in church canon legislation. He had many years of enjoy doing pastoral paintings in South The united states, in addition to in North The united states. And as prior normal of all the Augustinian Order, he would most probably have traveled extensively to consult with lots of the communities he supervised.
Papacy underneath Leo
The instant when the brand new pope emerged at the Vatican balcony.
The brand new pope gave the impression at the Vatican balcony dressed in the normal papal clothes: white cassock, brief purple cape, embellished purple and gold stole, and golden go putting round his neck. Francis, alternatively, had gave the impression dressed within the undeniable white cassock of a pope.
Indubitably, he had now not selected the simplicity of Francis. Was once this an indication that he could be extra of a traditionalist?
His selection of a papal title, I imagine, may point out a special viewpoint. Pope Leo XIII wrote a groundbreaking encyclical in 1891, “Rerum Novarum,” subtitled “On Dignity and Labor.” On this he wired the rights of staff to unionize and criticized the stipulations wherein they labored and lived. He additionally championed different rights the peculiar employee deserved from their bosses and from their executive.
Pope Leo XIII.
Francesco De Federicis by the use of Wikimedia Commons
In his first remarks from the balcony, providing a glimpse into the course of his papacy, Leo XIV wired the function of Catholics and the church as peacemakers and bridge-builders, in discussion with different spiritual traditions and cultures. His first phrases have been “Peace be with you all,” describing this peace as “a disarmed peace, a disarming peace.” He additional advised Catholics to behave in combination “without fear … united with one another … to build bridges” thru discussion and outreach – to deliver peace to the arena.
He would possibly not apply precisely in Francis’ footsteps, however he’s going to most probably proceed strolling in the similar course.
