Cardinal Prevost becomes first American pope; takes the name Leo XIV
ROME - Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as Roman Catholic pontiff, the first ever pope from the United States and a possible bridge between the moderate and hard-line sides of the Church.
Prevost, 69, chose the name of Leo XIV for his pontificate and was greeted by thousands of cheering faithful as he stepped out onto a balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square to be presented to the world.
"May peace be with you," the new pope told a cheering crowd waving flags.
The new pope inherits from his predecessor Pope Francis a church that is facing internal strife between progressives and conservatives over matters such as divorce and LGBTQ+ issues, while trying to navigate geopolitical tensions from Russia's war in Ukraine to the conflict in the Middle East.
It took only two days to reach a consensus among the Church's electors, many of whom were appointed by Francis, suggesting the former pontiff may have helped to shape the decision.
Francis had named his future successor to the Congregation for the Clergy in 2019 and made him a member of the Congregation for Bishops in 2020.
Leo XIII was the most famous pope to carry this name. He was a progressive who helped push the church into the modern age.
This conclave has chosen a pope who has a good chance of establishing strong relations with U.S. President Donald Trump at a time of flux in global affairs, albeit one who was an intellectual and believed in social justice.
Pope Francis, who died last month, had said he wanted to lead a "poor church for the poor," opened discussions on topics generally considered off limits, such as the role of women and the possibility for remarried divorcees to receive communion.
He also promoted financial reforms and regulations aimed at bringing the Vatican Bank into compliance with international financial standards. He raised his voice to defend the victims of sexual scandals and to protect the planet, with the encyclical Laudato Si'.
His reforms were criticized by the most orthodox part of the church but, in some cases, also by more liberal-leaning voices who were expecting more radical changes and a tougher stance on abuses by clergy.
Rejecting the perks and privileges of his position, Francis had shunned the palatial papal apartments in favor of the Vatican guest house. Whether the new pontiff follows in his footsteps remains to be seen.
Prevost was born in Chicago but spent much of his life outside the U.S., mostly in Peru and Rome. In 2018 he became second vice president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.
He is known for his governance experience, his pragmatism, and has experience of the workings of the Vatican. He could prove to be potential interlocutor with Trump, but may clash with him on migration policies.
"What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country," Trump said in a social media post. "I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"
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Chicago Tribune
17 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Pope Leo XIV honor caught in legislative gridlock
As the Illinois General Assembly was speeding to adjourn late last month, a Lake County lawmaker had spiritual leanings overtake his temporal duties. He introduced a bill to honor the first American pope, Leo XIV. State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Lake Barrington, filed his legislation to recognize native Chicagoan Pope Leo XIV as leader of the Roman Catholic faith. Normally a numbers guy — McLaughlin's a small businessman and financial expert, specializing in pension management — his proposal drew bipartisan support in Springfield, picking up a co-sponsor in fellow Lake Countian, state Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove. Yet, the measure was promptly shuffled into the House Rules Committee, where it could be buried to perdition. One would think lawmakers would have wanted to move quickly on such an accolade with an Illinoisan named the Bishop of Rome. Legislators did manage to rapidly adopt a 3,000-page, $55 billion budget bill, which McLaughlin voted against, hours before rushing to adjournment. Perhaps the Pope Leo measure will be dealt with later this summer or year, as the legislature is due back to consider a number of unmet goals, including funding regional mass transit. Or members of the Democratic-controlled committee will anoint one of their own as sponsor of the bill. I can't believe a legislator from a Chicago or southern Cook County district wouldn't want to claim the first U.S. pope for his or her own and scrap McLaughlin's measure. It's happened before in the hallowed halls of Springfield's legislative temple. The elevation of an American cardinal to pontiff after some 2,000 years of the Holy See is an unprecedented event in Illinois and world history. It shouldn't be overlooked in his birth state. McLaughlin's bill takes that into consideration, and the Republican was way ahead of the curve by introducing his bill. Pope Leo, 69, is so popular that tickets to a celebration and Mass of his elevation at Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, and set for 4 p.m. Saturday, is sold out. The White Sox wish they could get that many fans into seats at the South Side ballpark. Several reports noted tickets for the event, originally costing $10, were being resold for upwards of $1,200. Additionally, the village of Dolton wants to take the childhood home of the former Robert Francis Prevost through eminent domain, aka condemnation. Village officials want to work with the Chicago Archdiocese to turn his eminence's old residence into a historic site. McLaughlin's measure amending House Bill 2083 proposes establishing a commemorative area and statue on the state Capitol grounds for the new pope, who was elected May 8 in Rome by the College of Cardinals. It seeks to honor, 'his legacy in a lasting and visible way,' the bill spells out. Importantly, no taxpayer funds would be used under the proposal. The legislation sets up a commission with the intention of receiving donations, while other costs would be covered through the sale of a new specialty Illinois license plate. If the state can offer vehicle tags for Chicago professional sports teams, Illinois certainly can have a Pope Leo XIV plate. Design of the specialty plate would be left to the Secretary of State's Office and could be purchased for $27, with $12 of that going toward the Pope Leo XIV Commemoration Fund, according to the bill. 'This is not a religious monument,' McLaughlin, a former Lake Barrington village president, asserted in a statement. 'It's about acknowledging a truly historic moment. It's a global story with Illinois at the heart.' The proposal directs the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, in collaboration with the state's interfaith community, to come up with the design and fabrication of the Pope statue, 'within a reasonable period of time.' Other historical and Illinois-centric statues adorn various parts of the Capitol grounds in Springfield and its vicinity. It's pretty straightforward stuff, which is why McLaughlin, too, wonders why the bill didn't move rapidly through the General Assembly to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk for signing. He's been representing the House 52nd District since first being elected in 2020. He noted lawmakers have adopted symbolic resolutions on hundreds of picayune issues over the years. 'Surely, we can agree that elevating an Illinoisan to the highest position in global religious leadership warrants acknowledgement,' he added. 'This pope's message of tolerance and global cooperation deserves recognition, not gridlock.' I'm not sure what the legislative holdup is, but Catholics across the region might want to prod their Springfield lawmakers to endorse recognizing the first American pope after 266 previous pontiffs. Such an epic event doesn't come along every papal conclave.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV names first Chinese bishop, signalling he is continuing Vatican's controversial accord
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV made his first appointment of a Chinese bishop under the Vatican's 2018 agreement with Beijing, signalling he is continuing one of Pope Francis' most controversial foreign policy decisions. The Vatican expressed satisfaction that Leo's June 5 nomination of Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou was recognized Wednesday by Chinese authorities. The Vatican said in a statement that Lin taking possession of the diocese and the civic recognition of his appointment 'constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is a significant step in the diocese's communal journey.' Francis had riled conservatives when he approved a deal in 2018 over bishop nominations, which had been the most divisive issue in Vatican-China relations since diplomatic ties were severed when the Communists came to power. China had insisted on an exclusive right to name bishops as a matter of national sovereignty, while the Vatican asserted the pope's exclusive right to name the successors of the original Apostles. China's estimated 12 million Catholics have been divided between an official, state-controlled church that didn't recognize papal authority and an underground church that remained loyal to Rome through decades of persecution. The Vatican tried for decades to unify the flock and the 2018 deal was aimed at healing that division, regularizing the status of seven bishops who weren't recognized by Rome and thawing decades of estrangement between China and the Vatican. The details of the 2018 deal were never released, but it affords the state-controlled church a say in its church leaders, though Francis insisted he retained veto power over the ultimate choice. The deal has been criticized by some, especially on the Catholic right, for having caved to Beijing's demands and sold out the underground faithful in China. The Vatican has said it was the best deal it could get and has been renewed periodically since then. One of the big foreign policy questions facing Leo, history's first American pope, was whether he would continue renewing the accord or heed conservative demands and make some changes. There have been apparent violations on the Beijing side with some unilateral appointments that occurred without papal consent. The issue came to a head just before the conclave that elected Leo pope, when the Chinese church proceeded with the preliminary election of two bishops, a step that comes before official consecration. ___ 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.
San Francisco Chronicle
21 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pope Leo XIV names first Chinese bishop, signalling he is continuing Vatican's controversial accord
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV made his first appointment of a Chinese bishop under the Vatican's 2018 agreement with Beijing, signalling he is continuing one of Pope Francis' most controversial foreign policy decisions. The Vatican expressed satisfaction that Leo's June 5 nomination of Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou was recognized Wednesday by Chinese authorities. The Vatican said in a statement that Lin taking possession of the diocese and the civic recognition of his appointment 'constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is a significant step in the diocese's communal journey.' Francis had riled conservatives when he approved a deal in 2018 over bishop nominations, which had been the most divisive issue in Vatican-China relations since diplomatic ties were severed when the Communists came to power. China had insisted on an exclusive right to name bishops as a matter of national sovereignty, while the Vatican asserted the pope's exclusive right to name the successors of the original Apostles. China's estimated 12 million Catholics have been divided between an official, state-controlled church that didn't recognize papal authority and an underground church that remained loyal to Rome through decades of persecution. The Vatican tried for decades to unify the flock and the 2018 deal was aimed at healing that division, regularizing the status of seven bishops who weren't recognized by Rome and thawing decades of estrangement between China and the Vatican. The details of the 2018 deal were never released, but it affords the state-controlled church a say in its church leaders, though Francis insisted he retained veto power over the ultimate choice. The deal has been criticized by some, especially on the Catholic right, for having caved to Beijing's demands and sold out the underground faithful in China. The Vatican has said it was the best deal it could get and has been renewed periodically since then. One of the big foreign policy questions facing Leo, history's first American pope, was whether he would continue renewing the accord or heed conservative demands and make some changes. There have been apparent violations on the Beijing side with some unilateral appointments that occurred without papal consent. The issue came to a head just before the conclave that elected Leo pope, when the Chinese church proceeded with the preliminary election of two bishops, a step that comes before official consecration. ___ 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.
