Archbishop Broglio welcomes Pope Leo XIV: 'A shepherd for a troubled world'
Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony (@Vatican Media)
By Marie Duhamel and Linda BordoniSpeaking to Vatican News shortly after the announcement of the election of Pope Leo XIV from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, Archbishop Broglio, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was 'very pleased with the choice of the cardinals,' acknowledging his surprise at the outcome but affirming his deep sense of happiness and trust in the new pontificate.
'I certainly offer a prayer for Pope Leo,' he said, 'and pray for the beginning of his mission and for its success.'
Archbishop Broglio shared that he had met Pope Leo XIV during official visits to Rome as part of his role with the bishops' conference, recalling a man marked by warmth, openness, and a genuine desire to collaborate, as well as during the Synod on Synodality.
'On both occasions,' he noted, 'he was very cordial and demonstrated a great desire to be helpful and work together. I was very grateful for that.'
What is in a name?
The choice of the name 'Leo' evokes rich associations with Church history, particularly Pope Leo XIII, remembered for his groundbreaking work on Catholic social teaching and his encyclical Rerum Novarum.
'It sparks the memory of Leo XIII,' Archbishop Broglio reflected, 'who was the first pope to enunciate in a clear fashion the social doctrine of the Church.'
The name also speaks to the new Pope's roots. 'Since Leo came from the neighbourhood of Rome, I think the people of Rome, primarily, will be very happy,' he said.
A call for peace
Highlighting the state of the world today, Archbishop Broglio stressed the need for the Pope to be a voice for peace and dialogue amid the many crises unfolding across the globe.
'I think all of us are extremely troubled by the by the situations that continue to ignite in our world. I think now of Pakistan and India, but we also have this disaster in Ukraine and in the Middle East, and so many parts of Africa. So that he would speak of peace, I think is essential. And I hope that he will be a pontiff who can further peace and dialogue in our world,' he said.
A united Church
Reflecting on Pope Leo XIV's words about a united Church, Archbishop Broglio agreed that this message is also important for the people of the United States.
'One of the things we have to learn is to listen to each other,' he said. 'We may disagree, but each person is created in the image of God, and that should never be lost. I hope we hear his message as an invitation to be unified and to become instruments of dialogue.'
A universal shepherd
Archbishop Broglio also commented on Pope Leo's international background—French and Italian by heritage, with pastoral experience in Latin America—as a gift to his universal ministry.
'I think it's excellent,' he said. 'Living in different parts of the world makes a big difference. It brings depth, perspective, and a richness that will help him guide the Church.'
He added that such global experience helps keep the Church from becoming 'lost in its own backyard.'
A Pastor for all
Noting the Pope's decision to speak in Italian during his first public address, Archbishop Broglio remarked on the pastoral significance of language.
'As the Bishop of Rome, I think it's important he spoke Italian,' he said, while also acknowledging the comfort this choice brings to Spanish-speaking Catholics, especially in light of the recent passing of Pope Francis. 'It will be reassuring to see that their new pastor can reach their hearts as well.'
Concluding, Archbishop Broglio offered prayers for Pope Leo XIV: 'I wish him tranquillity and every success in his ministry.'--Vatican News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
European leaders to join Zelenskyy in Washington as Trump presses Ukraine deal
LONDON/KYIV: European leaders including from Germany, France and Britain will join Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet Donald Trump in Washington, they said on Sunday, seeking to shore up his position as the US president presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace deal. Trump is leaning on Zelenskyy to strike an agreement after he met Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in Alaska, and on Sunday promised "big progress on Russia" in a social media post without specifying what this might be. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump had seen enough to justify meeting Zelenskyy and the Europeans on Monday but added that both Russia and Ukraine would need to make concessions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were hosting a meeting of allies on Sunday to bolster Zelenskyy's position, hoping in particular to lock down robust security guarantees for Ukraine that would include a US role. According to sources, the US and Russian leaders discussed at their summit on Friday proposals for Russia to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine ceding a swathe of fortified land in the east and freezing the front lines elsewhere. At face value, some of Putin's demands would be hugely difficult for Ukraine to accept, setting the stage for potentially fraught talks about ending Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, which has dragged on for 3-1/2 years and killed or wounded more than 1 million people. European allies are keen to help Zelenskyy avoid a repeat of his last Oval Office meeting, in February. That went disastrously, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance giving the Ukrainian leader a public dressing-down, accusing him of being ungrateful and disrespectful. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also travel to Washington, as will Finland's President Alexander Stubb, whose access to Trump included rounds of golf in Florida earlier this year, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is an admirer of many of Trump's policies. "It's important that Washington is with us," Zelenskyy said alongside von der Leyen on a visit to Brussels, saying that the current front lines in the war should be the basis for peace talks. "Putin does not want to stop the killing but he must do it." 'STEEL PORCUPINE' Setting out red lines, von der Leyen said Ukraine's allies wanted robust security guarantees for Ukraine, no limits to Ukraine's armed forces and a seat at the table for Ukraine to discuss its territory. "As I've often said, Ukraine must become a steel porcupine, indigestible for potential invaders," she said. Macron, Merz and Starmer were hosting a virtual meeting of the "coalition of the willing" – a grouping of allies of Kyiv – on Sunday, a discussion that included Zelenskyy. European powers want to help set up a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy to make sure Ukraine has a seat at the table to shape its future. They also want security guarantees for Ukraine with US involvement, and the ability to crank up pressure on Moscow if needed. Speaking to CBS on Sunday, Rubio said both Ukraine and Russia would have to make concessions to reach a peace deal and that security guarantees for Ukraine would be discussed on Monday. He also said there would have to be additional consequences for Russia if no deal was reached. "I'm not saying we're on the verge of a peace deal, but I am saying that we saw movement, enough movement to justify a follow-up meeting with Zelenskyy and the Europeans, enough movement for us to dedicate even more time to this," Rubio said. However, he said the US may not be able to create a scenario to end the war. "If peace is not going to be possible here and this is just going to continue on as a war, people will continue to die by the thousands ... we may unfortunately wind up there, but we don't want to wind up there," Rubio said in an interview with Face the Nation. 'VERY BIG POWER' For his part, Putin briefed his close ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, about the Alaska talks, and also spoke with Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Trump said on Friday that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not." After the Alaska summit, Trump phoned Zelenskyy and told him that the Kremlin chief had offered to freeze most front lines if Ukraine ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskyy rejected the demand. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies have called for. That was a reversal of his position before the summit, when he said he would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
European leaders to join Zelenskiy for Washington talks as Trump presses peace deal
LONDON: European leaders including from Germany, France and Britain will accompany Volodymyr Zelenskiy to meet Donald Trump in Washington, they said on Sunday, seeking to bolster him as the U.S. president presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace. Ahead of the Washington talks on Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were hosting a meeting of allies on Sunday to shore up Zelenskiy's position, hoping in particular to lock down robust security guarantees for Ukraine that would include a U.S. role. President Trump is leaning on Ukraine to strike an agreement after meeting Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska. According to sources, the U.S. and Russian leaders discussed proposals for Russia to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine ceding a swathe of fortified land in the east and freezing the front lines elsewhere. At face value, some of Putin's demands would be hugely difficult for Ukraine to accept, setting the stage for potentially fraught talks about ending Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, which has killed or wounded more than 1 million people. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also travel to Washington, as will Finland's President Alexander Stubb, whose access to Trump included rounds of golf in Florida earlier this year. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is an admirer of many of Trump's policies, will also go to Washington, her office said. European allies are keen to avoid a repeat of Zelenskiy's last Oval Office meeting, in February. That went disastrously, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance giving the Ukrainian leader a strong public dressing-down. 'The talks will address, among other things, security guarantees, territorial issues, and continued support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression,' the German government said in a statement about the Washington trip. 'This includes maintaining pressure on sanctions.' Macron, Merz and Starmer will host a virtual meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' - a grouping of allies of Kyiv - from 1300 GMT on Sunday. Von der Leyen will host Zelenskiy in Brussels from where the two leaders will also dial in. European powers want to help set up a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskiy to make sure Ukraine has a seat at the table to shape its future. They also want security guarantees for Ukraine with U.S. involvement, and the ability to crank up pressure on Moscow if needed. 'They will spell out what they consider essential in terms of security guarantees: what they can do themselves, what falls to the coalition of volunteers, and also what they expect from the United States,' a European government official said. 'Indeed, they expect a very robust commitment.' Very Big Power Trump said on Friday that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because 'Russia is a very big power, and they're not'. After the Alaska summit with Putin, Trump phoned Zelenskiy and told him that the Kremlin chief had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies have called for. That was a reversal of his position before the summit, when he said he would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. 'Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war,' he said on X. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. In his statement after the Alaska summit, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. He also warned Ukraine and its European allies not to 'create any obstacles. That they will not attempt to disrupt the emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue.'- REUTERS
Barnama
4 hours ago
- Barnama
Key EU Leaders to Join Trump-Zelensky Talks in Washington
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. REUTERS/Yves Herman//File Photo GENEVA/BERLIN, Aug 17 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Key European leaders will travel to Washington on Monday to join talks on Ukraine with United States (US) President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb are set to attend the meeting. The German government said the trip will serve as an "information exchange" following Trump's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. bootstrap slideshow Talks are expected to focus on security guarantees, territorial questions, support for Ukraine's defence and maintaining sanctions pressure on Russia. In Helsinki, the Finnish presidency confirmed Stubb's participation in what it called 'a meeting on peace in Ukraine.' Italian news agency ANSA also confirmed Meloni's attendance. International media reported that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will also join the talks in Washington. On Friday, Trump and Putin held a three-hour closed-door meeting. Putin said they had reached an 'understanding.' Trump told Fox News afterwards that while progress was made, it was now up to Zelenskyy and European leaders 'to get it done.'
