'Great joy': Election of first American Pope celebrated in Edmonton
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As Father Paul Kavanagh was finishing Mass for Life at the Alberta legislature Thursday morning, a steady vibration in his pocket signalled a momentous change in Catholic Church history.
'I must say, my phone was buzzing in my pocket, and I wasn't sure why,' said Kavanagh, who serves on the leadership team of the Archdiocese of Edmonton as he recalled the moment with surprise. 'And when Mass was over, many of us who were here, the bishops of Alberta included, they also then realized, 'Oh, the Holy Father's been elected.''
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Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
What US adults think about Pope Leo XIV, according to a new AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON (AP) — Just over a month after Pope Leo XIV became the first U.S.-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church, a new poll shows that American Catholics are feeling excited about their new religious leader. About two-thirds of American Catholics have a 'very' or 'somewhat' favorable view of Pope Leo, according to the new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, while about 3 in 10 don't know enough to have an opinion. Very few Catholics — less than 1 in 10 — view him unfavorably. Among Americans overall, plenty of people are still making up their minds about Pope Leo. But among those who do have an opinion, feelings about the first U.S.-born pope are overwhelmingly positive. The survey found that 44% of U.S. adults have a 'somewhat' or 'very' favorable view of Pope Leo XIV. A similar percentage say they don't know enough to have an opinion, and only about 1 in 10 see him unfavorably. As he promises to work for unity in a polarized church, Americans with very different views about the future of the church are feeling optimistic about his pontificate. Terry Barber, a 50-year-old Catholic from Sacramento, California, hopes Leo will seek a 'more progressive and modern church' that is more accepting of all. 'I'm optimistic. Certainly, the first pope from the United States is significant,' said Barber, who identifies as a Democrat. 'Since he worked under the previous pope, I'm sure he has similar ideas, but certainly some that are original, of his own. I'm looking forward to seeing what, if any changes, come about under his leadership.' Bipartisan appeal About half of Democrats have a favorable view of the new pope, as do about 4 in 10 Republicans and independents. Republicans are a little more likely than Democrats to be reserving judgment. About half of Republicans say they don't know enough to have an opinion about the pope, compared to about 4 in 10 Democrats. Republicans, notably, are no more likely than Democrats to have an unfavorable opinion of the pope. About 1 in 10 in each group view Pope Leo unfavorably. Victoria Becude, 38, a Catholic and Republican from Florida, said she's excited about the first U.S.-born pope and hopes he can steer the country back to Catholic doctrine and make Americans proud. 'I'm rooting for him,' she said. 'I hope that America can get back to faith, and I hope he can do that.' Being a political liberal or conservative, of course, isn't the same thing as identifying as a liberal or conservative Catholic. But the poll found no discernible partisan gap among Catholics on Pope Leo, and Catholics across the ideological spectrum have expressed hope that Leo will be able to heal some of the divisions that emerged during the pontificate of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Pope Leo recently criticized the surge of nationalist political movements in the world as he prayed for reconciliation and dialogue — a message in line with his pledges to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace. Before becoming pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis' pontificate by having women serve on the Vatican board that vets nominations for bishops. He also has said decisively that women cannot be ordained as priests. Donald Hallstone, 72, a Catholic who lives in Oregon, said he expects that Leo will continue to promote women in governance positions 'at a time when there's a shortage of priests' and other leaders in the church. 'It'd be great to see women in those roles,' he said. 'Women were not excluded in the first centuries.' On the other hand, some right-wing U.S. Catholics hope Leo will focus on Catholic doctrinal opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. Becude, the Republican, said she's against same-sex relationships because she believes that unions should be between a man and a woman, something that Pope Leo has reiterated. Even though she describes herself as 'very conservative,' though, she's in favor of reproductive rights even when church teaching opposes abortion. 'I don't believe that they should stop women from having abortions,' she said. 'We should have our own rights because you don't know the circumstances behind the reason why a woman would want the abortion in the first place.' Few have negative views — yet There's plenty of room for views to shift as Leo's agenda as pope becomes clear. Not all Americans have formed an opinion of the new pope yet; particularly, members of other religious groups are more likely to be still making up their minds. About half of born-again Protestants, mainline Protestants, and adults with no religious affiliation don't know enough to have an opinion about the pope, although relatively few — about 1 in 10 — in each group have an unfavorable view of him. Older Americans — who are more likely to identify as Catholics — are also more likely than younger Americans to be fans of Leo's. About half of Americans ages 60 and older have a favorable view of Pope Leo, compared to about 4 in 10 Americans under 30. But even so, only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults under 30 have an unfavorable view of the pope right now. Mercedes Drink, 31, is from the pope's hometown of Chicago. She still hopes that women will become ordained under his pontificate. 'It's cool; I like him because he brings something different,' said Drink, who lives in Minnesota and identifies as being part of the 'religious nones' — atheists, agnostics, or nothing in particular. 'As a young woman, I hope that he can bring change … considering who he is, he brings something new to the table. I hope he opens the world's eyes to modernizing the church, bringing more people in, having more diversity.' ___ Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Henao reported from Princeton, N.J. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,158 adults was conducted June 5-9, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Global News
08-06-2025
- Global News
Pope criticizes political nationalism, prays for reconciliation and dialogue
Pope Leo XIV criticized the surge of nationalist political movements in the world as he prayed Sunday for reconciliation and dialogue — a message in line with his pledges to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace. The pope celebrated Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square in front of tens of thousands, and asked the Holy Spirit to 'break down barriers and tear down the walls of indifference and hatred.' 'Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms,' the first American pontiff said. He did not name any specific country or politician. 4:15 Pope Leo XIV holds inaugural mass, vows to protect Church doctrine but face modernity Leo also recalled the words of late Pope Francis, who — on the feast of Pentecost in May 2023 — observed that in our world 'we are all connected, yet find ourselves disconnected from one another, anaesthetized by indifference and overwhelmed by solitude.' Story continues below advertisement The pope also condemned wars, which 'are plaguing our world,' and asked the Holy Spirit for 'the gift of peace.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'First of all, peace in our hearts, for only a peaceful heart can spread peace in the family, society and international relations,' Leo said, then prayed for reconciliation and dialogue wherever there is war in the world. Soon after becoming pope, Leo pledged to work for unity and peace. His first message, 'Peace be with you all,' set the importance of peace as a pillar of his papacy. He has also appealed for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Globe and Mail
08-06-2025
- Globe and Mail
Pope Leo criticizes surge of nationalist political movements
Pope Leo XIV criticized the surge of nationalist political movements in the world as he prayed Sunday for reconciliation and dialogue – a message in line with his pledges to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace. The Pope celebrated Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square in front of tens of thousands faithful, and asked the Holy Spirit to 'break down barriers and tear down the walls of indifference and hatred.' 'Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms,' the first American pontiff said. He did not name any specific country or politician. Leo also recalled the words of late Pope Francis, who – on the feast of Pentecost in May 2023 – observed that in our world 'we are all connected, yet find ourselves disconnected from one another, anaesthetized by indifference and overwhelmed by solitude.' The pope also condemned wars, which 'are plaguing our world,' and asked the Holy Spirit for 'the gift of peace.' 'First of all, peace in our hearts, for only a peaceful heart can spread peace in the family, society and international relations,' Leo said, then prayed for reconciliation and dialogue wherever there is war in the world. Soon after becoming pope, Leo pledged to work for unity and peace. His first message, 'Peace be with you all,' set the importance of peace as a pillar of his papacy. He has also appealed for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and a ceasefire in Gaza.
