Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo on Pope Leo XIV

Herald Malaysia

14-05-2025

After participating in the Conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV as the successor of Peter, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu describes this election as a choice of the Holy Spirit, made by the Cardinals. The Archbishop of Kinshasa (DRC) and President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa May 14, 2025
Conclave to elect the new pope, at the Vatican
Stanislas Kambashi, SJ – Vatican City.
Arriving in Rome a day after the death of Pope Francis, Cardinal Ambongo described the intense period that the universal Church has just experienced as comprising three phases: the death and funeral of the late Sovereign Pontiff, the nine days of mourning and the General Congregations (meetings) held by the Cardinals, and the Conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
At the end of these intense 'three phases,' the Congolese Archbishop shared his thoughts on the new Pope with Vatican News, particularly urging the faithful to 'pray for the successor of Peter so that the Lord gives him light, grace, and inner strength to carry out his mission, which is essentially to confirm all the faithful in the faith,' and to manifest God's mercy to all humanity.
Your Eminence Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo, you just experienced very intense moments: the General Congregations, then the Conclave. How did you live through these times?
I would rather speak of three very important moments since my arrival here. The first was the funeral of Pope Francis, which we experienced with great emotion—this great Pope who visited us in the Congo. We cherish all those memories of him. The second was what is called the pre-Conclave, with the General Congregations, which lasted more than a week—I would say ten days. And the third was the Conclave itself. Each moment was experienced in a particular way. The funeral of Pope Francis was celebrated in sorrow and sadness. The second moment, the pre-Conclave, characterized by the Congregations—gatherings of all Cardinals, electors and non-electors—was a time of reflection, analysis, and critical examination of the reality of our Church, how far we have come, and projections for the future. All of this provided material that helped us define the profile of the person we wanted on Peter's Chair to help lead the Church. The General Congregations, which prepare us immediately for the Conclave, made it possible that, when we entered the Conclave—which I consider the third moment of my stay here—things went relatively smoothly because we were prepared.
From the profile of the future Pope that you and the Cardinals sketched during the General Congregations: you especially wanted a universal Shepherd close to the people. And the Sovereign Pontiff you elected fits this profile, being a missionary. What are your first impressions after the election of the new Pope?
The overall impression, as you saw when the Cardinals came out, is one of joy—everyone was satisfied with the choice of Pope Leo XIV. Because before God—and that's why we took our oath and acted in conscience—we reached an inner conviction that he was the one among us who best matched the profile we had defined. And you saw, in less than 24 hours, Cardinals from different parts of the world elected a Pope. That fact, I believe, must be acknowledged. 133 cardinals from four corners of the world, who did not know each other well—since I have been a Cardinal for about five years, we've only had the College of Cardinals meet once before, to discuss the document Praedicate Evangelium . But all those appointed after us we didn't know. Imagine that, in two weeks, we managed to fraternise, get to know each other, and exchange ideas and notes. Through these exchanges, we reached a consensus on the profile of the Cardinal who best fits the current priorities of the Church amidst its great challenges. The Holy Spirit was with us.
Does this also reflect a certain unity within the College of Cardinals, which should also be mirrored throughout the Church?
In fact, there is a gap between what is said in the media and reality. The press often claims that the Church is divided—between conservatives and progressives. These categories do not exist among the Cardinals themselves. The proof of this is what we just experienced. Cardinals, representing the entire universal Church, demonstrated a much deeper understanding of the true nature of the Church. The Church is not an ideology, as the media sometimes portrays it, but rather attachment to a person. And that person is Jesus Christ. The fundamental question He posed to Simon Peter was: 'Do you love me?' Do you love me? It's about loving this man, and all men and women around the world who love Jesus recognise themselves as brothers and sisters. Our common point is this love for Jesus. And these are not ideologies, as some try to say, but genuine love—love that transforms our nature from within and sets us on the right path.
Today, we live in a world torn apart by wars and nationalism. Do you also have hope that the elected Pope is the person who can better continue the fight for peace, or continue the battle against increasingly dividing nationalisms?
Pope Francis said very clearly that our world today is characterised by what he called a 'third world war—fought in small pieces.' That is the reality of our world. There are conflicts and tensions everywhere. The College of Cardinals aimed to elect a new Pope who would continue along the lines of Pope Francis—reminding humanity that we are all brothers: 'Fratelli Tutti,' as he wrote—and that it is pointless to spend most of our time quarrelling, fighting, and killing each other when we are all brothers and sisters. We believe that the newly elected Pope, Leo XIV, is aligned with this vision. You heard his first words upon being elected were about peace, emphasising the need for everyone to commit to peace. Peace is not a natural state; we must work to build it. It does not simply fall from the sky. It requires our engagement, will, and a good inner disposition to wish others well. And I believe the new Pope will help us in this regard. I say this especially because of his background—he is a person who embodies what could be called the whole world. His grandparents come from France and Italy, and he himself is American, having lived many years in Peru. He was the Prior General of his religious congregation, the Order of Saint Augustine. As Prior General, he travelled around the world, visiting Africa—including the Congo. There are still beautiful images circulating on social media of him visiting us, and all this makes him what we can now call a 'citizen of the world.' I think this gives him a real advantage in viewing the conflicts of today's world with some perspective and in finding the appropriate language to reach out to the belligerents and exhort them to reconcile.
You pointed out that Leo XIV is a cosmopolitan figure, as some might say. A Roman pontiff's name can sometimes already hint at the direction of his pontificate. Leo XIV also references his predecessor, Leo XIII, who wrote the encyclical Rerum Novarum , the social encyclical. How do you think this pontificate might be oriented based on this name Leo XIV?
The best explanation comes from the Pope himself. I believe that by choosing this name, he first references Pope Leo XIII, who was the first pope to write a social encyclical, Rerum Novarum . This encyclical specifically addresses social issues. In his first words on Thursday, the new Pope began by talking about peace. Like the risen Jesus after His Resurrection, the first words He addressed to His disciples after their betrayal were: 'Peace be with you.'
Since the announcement of the election of Pope Leo XIV, many reactions have expressed the joy of the people of God.
Your Eminence, you are president of SCEAM, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar. What can Africa, as a continent, hope for from this new papacy of Pope Leo XIV?
Africa today faces many problems, including widespread poverty. Looking at the continent's reality, only a few countries are doing relatively well. But overall, many African countries are in difficulty. The root of these challenges lies in the issue of living together, which is problematic—not only among Africans themselves but also with external powers that come into our countries. Pope Francis, with the process of synodality, has already indicated the way forward. Most of our conflicts in Africa—such as the ongoing wars in Sudan, South Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and tensions with Rwanda, as well as the roles of Uganda and Burundi—create confusion and suffering among the population. But by returning to the very concept of synodality, we can see each other differently, work together differently, hold hands, and move forward as one.
I believe that for Africa, it would be very important for the new Pope to advance the process of synodality, which could be a real springboard for resolving many of our conflicts. That's one point. I also see that Pope Leo XIV is a man very sensitive to financial issues. At the Vatican, he is involved in many commissions that deal with the Holy See's finances. Pope Francis, when he began reforming the Curia—which he viewed as a mandate received from the last Conclave—started with financial reforms at the Holy See. This means that, in a diocese, religious congregation, or parish, if we do not take the matter of material management and the economic-financial dimension of our ministry seriously, we risk facing difficulties tomorrow. Even Jesus Christ, though the Son of God, had an economic base for the group of Apostles, and it worked well. The treasury was entrusted to a good steward who carefully followed expenses—Judas. So, in our dioceses, we also need this. Our hope is that the new Pope, building on the reforms undertaken here at the Vatican, will also encourage us in our dioceses and urge religious congregations to put their financial management in order. Because we will never be credible if we are not transparent and honest in our economic and financial management.
Thank you, Your Eminence. What is your closing word? Would you like to add something regarding the election of Leo XIV, the new Pope, and the reception of this news in Africa and especially in your country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
There is an interesting anecdote: after the Conclave, among the messages I received, I saw on social media how some people commented on the election of the new Pope. There is a tendency to apply the logic of the 20th century to the process of electing the successor of Peter. Some said that Cardinal Ambongo is among the candidates and was ranked among the top ten. That's not how it works. There are no candidates. Any Cardinal can be elected. Any priest can be elected. So, when I see these reactions, I feel a bit sad—some even comment that they are disappointed because it's not what they had hoped for. Humanly speaking, I understand, but I believe we must rise above these purely human considerations. The choice of the successor of Peter is primarily made by the Holy Spirit itself and by the Cardinals gathered in Conclave. No one considers continent, group membership, or skin colour. Instead, we focus on the gravity of the mission and our duty as Cardinals to find the person truly suited to the challenges. Therefore, I simply ask everyone to warmly welcome Pope Leo XIV, just as we have always welcomed other Popes—with sincere, enthusiastic, and open-hearted acceptance of the new Pope, who already knows our reality in Africa.
Pray for him because the mission is not easy. Governing the Catholic Church is not like being the head of a single territory. The universal Shepherd, the successor of Peter, must constantly manoeuvre to meet the expectations of more than a billion Catholics worldwide, each with their own traditions, tastes, and differences. Achieving balance is not an easy task. That's why I ask my African brothers and sisters to pray for the successor of Peter, so that the Lord gives him light, grace, and inner strength to continue his work—primarily to confirm all the faithful in the faith. The Pope is here to confirm the faithful, but also to manifest God's mercy to all humanity—not just Catholics, but all of humanity.--Vatican News