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Arab News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Why Pope Leo XIV's message of peace and unity resonates in the Middle East
LONDON: On May 8, Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and announced the name the world had been waiting for. With a mix of surprise, joy, and curiosity in the crowd below, he revealed that the College of Cardinals had chosen Robert Francis Prevost as the 269th pontiff of the Catholic Church. He would take the name Pope Leo XIV. Prevost, 69, had appeared on papabile lists circulated by Vatican watchers, but his election surprised not just the Fantapapa players — a fantasy game for papal predictions — but much of the church hierarchy and media. For days, speculation had centered around Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See's secretary of state, whose role as the Vatican's number two and deep diplomatic experience made him a frontrunner. As is often the case with papal elections, the secrecy and discernment of the Conclave delivered a choice that defied predictions, leaving the world to piece together a portrait of the new pontiff after the fact. Despite the Vatican's characteristic reluctance to comment on its own decisions, the early signals from Leo have offered some insight into the kind of leader he may be. His papacy begins at a moment when the Western world, in particular, appears to be searching for moral clarity, especially in relation to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Three immediate clues point to the direction Leo may take. First, his name. As with all pontifical names, the choice is steeped in symbolism. In this case, Leo is a reference to Pope Leo XIII, remembered as the pope of Catholic social teaching. In 1891, Leo XIII published Rerum Novarum ('Of Revolutionary Change'), an encyclical that addressed the impact of the Industrial Revolution on workers and called for a Church more engaged with modern social issues. The name suggests Pope Leo XIV may seek to revive that tradition, engaging with today's global inequalities and the disruptive forces of technology. The second indication came from his first words as pope. Delivered in eloquent Italian, he issued a direct and urgent appeal: 'Peace in the world.' In an age marked by war in Gaza, violence in Sudan, and prolonged suffering in Syria, the message struck a chord. It was a simple phrase, but one that carried weight, reminding listeners of the Vatican's potential to offer moral guidance amid geopolitical chaos. Third, and perhaps most symbolically, is his nationality. As Aldo Cazzullo, deputy editor of Corriere della Sera, noted, the election of the first North American pope inevitably carries geopolitical meaning. Just as John Paul II's Polish roots shaped his response to Soviet Communism, and Pope Francis's Argentinian background informed his focus on the poor and the Global South, Pope Leo's American identity may influence how he engages with the world's power structures. 'From his first words after the election and his strong emphasis on peace, it is clear that there will be continuity with Pope Francis, though certainly expressed in his own style and sensitivity,' Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia, told Arab News. 'The choice of name also seems very significant to me. As he himself explained, choosing the name 'Leo' he wants to recall Pope Leo XIII, the Pope of Rerum Novarum, who was attentive to the needs of workers. 'He was the pope who faced the Industrial Revolution and defended the dignity of the human person.' He argued that by aligning himself with that legacy, Leo may be hinting at a similar approach to today's challenges, especially the rise of artificial intelligence, labor displacement and pervasive economic inequality. Martinelli also pointed out that while Leo is American by birth, his missionary work in Latin America has shaped his worldview. 'Certainly, the election of a pope is connected to the historical context,' he said. 'However, that alone is not enough to explain the cardinals' choice. 'Personality and the ability to embody the church in its unity and universality' played a significant role in his election, he added. Taken together, the opening moments of Leo's pontificate paint a clear picture of continuity with his predecessor — particularly in advancing church reform and championing peace and justice in conflict zones such as the Gaza Strip. Just a week into his papacy, Leo is already emerging as a spiritual and moral successor to Pope Francis, especially in matters concerning the Middle East. 'First of all, Pope Leo XIV is the son of migrants,' said Martinelli. 'Catholics in the Arabian Peninsula are, for the most part, migrants themselves. For this reason, I believe he may have the right sensitivity to understand the reality of the faithful living in this part of the world.' Martinelli pointed to Leo's first greeting and his Regina Caeli address as evidence of his deep concern for the Middle East. 'Both were marked by a strong appeal for peace,' he said. 'I am confident that his commitment to peace will be both concrete and consistent.' Francis, who appointed Leo to key Vatican roles and made him a cardinal in 2023 following years of missionary work in Peru, had been a vocal critic of the wars in Sudan, Gaza, Syria and Yemen. His remarks — often perceived as a rare moral stance in the Western world — strained relations with Israeli officials. In the days after his death, Israeli embassies were instructed to remove public condolences, and most senior leaders boycotted his funeral. In contrast, Leo has delivered repeated appeals for peace, both in public appearances and private meetings. Though simple in tone, his words appear to resonate, especially in a region exhausted by conflict. On May 14, he praised Christian communities in the Middle East who 'persevere and remain in their homelands, resisting the temptation to abandon them' despite war, marginalization, or persecution — remarks seen as a veiled reference to the ongoing displacement of Christians from the West Bank by Israeli settlers. Unlike his predecessor, whose forthright condemnations sometimes led to diplomatic fallout, Leo has so far adopted a more measured yet persistent tone. 'I believe his words clearly indicate the path he intends to follow, and they will surely be well received in the Gulf region and throughout the Middle East,' said Martinelli. While avoiding direct criticism of Israeli or Western leaders, Leo has offered to mediate between warring parties and pledged to 'make every effort so that this peace may prevail.' He also cautioned against framing ongoing conflicts as binary and simplistic narratives that divide the world into good and evil, stressing the need for dialogue — not just between political leaders, but among religious communities — as the only path forward in times of deep moral and societal crisis. 'The commitment to dialogue between people of different faiths is extremely important — vital in an age where religion still risks being exploited for nationalistic purposes,' said Martinelli. 'Committing violence in the name of God is always a betrayal of true religious experience; it is a misuse of religion.' For Martinelli, peace in Gaza and across the region must be rooted in interfaith dialogue — particularly between Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam — if it is to be credible and sustainable in a region long marred by sectarian violence and instability. That dialogue gained fresh momentum during Francis's historic 2019 visit to the UAE, the first ever papal visit to the Arabian Gulf. There, Francis and Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar Mosque, signed the Document on Human Fraternity, a groundbreaking call to reject violence and extremism. That message was amplified again during Francis's 2021 pilgrimage to Iraq, a journey viewed by many as an attempt to mend bridges between the different faiths in the country. 'Pope Francis' commitment to interreligious dialogue — expressed most notably in his visit to Abu Dhabi and the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity — belongs to a well-established tradition in the church,' Martinelli said. 'This seems to me to be an irreversible path for the Catholic Church. For this reason, I am confident that Pope Leo XIV will carry forward and deepen this journey, which is also essential for promoting peace and reconciliation in the world.' While it is still too early to say whether Leo will launch new diplomatic initiatives in the region, his early statements suggest that he could seek to position the Vatican as an active mediator, as Francis once did during the Syrian conflict. All signs point to Leo adopting a tone of moral clarity reminiscent of his predecessor: condemning violence, encouraging interfaith cooperation, and offering hope. What remains uncertain is how effectively he will balance this moral authority with the pragmatic demands of a volatile geopolitical landscape. What is clear, however, is that the Chicago-born missionary is likely to build on Francis's diplomatic legacy — one that transformed the Vatican into a modern soft-power institution rooted in moral imperatives.
News.com.au
11-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Leo XIV, new pope and 'humble servant of God', visits Francis's tomb
Leo XIV prayed at the tomb of Pope Francis on Saturday, just two days after being elected new head of the Catholic Church and hours after vowing to humbly follow in his predecessor's footsteps. Vatican News published a photo of the white-robed pope kneeling before Francis's simple marble tomb at the basilica in central Rome, where the faithful are still queueing to pay their respects. The surprise visit to Santa Maria Maggiore, a papal basilica in Rome beloved of Francis, who died on April 21 at age 88, capped a busy day for Leo. Earlier Saturday, Leo had praised Francis's "complete dedication to service" in a meeting at the Vatican with cardinals. He told them he intended to follow in the path of his predecessor during his pontificate. The meeting with the College of Cardinals -- some 133 of whom elected him pontiff Thursday -- revealed some clues as to the priorities and style of the largely unknown Augustinian. Leo explained his new choice of name reflected a commitment to social justice, while describing himself as St Peter's "unworthy Successor". Born Robert Francis Prevost, the first US pope is now charged with leading the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. - Visits Augustinian shrine - He told cardinals a pontiff was "a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this". He praised Francis's "complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life", according to a transcript of the gathering published by the Vatican. "Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith," he told the group, after they welcomed him with a standing ovation upon his arrival. Among the Church priorities championed by Francis, Leo said he intended to uphold "loving care for the least and the rejected" and his "courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities". He also mentioned "the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community" and the efforts of Francis to open the Church to welcome more voices. Saturday afternoon Leo paid a "private visit" to an important shrine for the Augustinian order, the Mother of Good Counsel Sanctuary in Genazzano, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) southeast of Rome, the Vatican said. - Justice, labour - Leo told cardinals he chose his papal name as a homage to Leo XIII, a 19th-century pontiff who had defended workers' rights. His namesake, he said, had "addressed the social question in the context of the first great Industrial Revolution". Today, the Church's social teaching is needed "in response to another Industrial Revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour," Leo added. Leo is the first Augustinian pope, a religious order with a strong focus on missionary outreach and community, which experts say encourages collaboration and discussion before decision-making. In his first homily to cardinals on Friday, Leo urged the Church to restore the faith of millions around the world. Lack of faith, he warned, often went hand-in-hand with "the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society". The former missionary in Peru, who was made cardinal by Francis in 2023, is not a globally recognised figure. He had nevertheless been on many Vatican watchers' lists of potential popes ahead of the conclave. Over the coming days his actions and words will be closely scrutinised. - 'Deep faith' - On Sunday, Leo returns to the balcony of St Peter's Basilica where he was first introduced to the world to give the Regina Coeli prayer to assembled faithful in the square beneath him. Leo plans to meet with foreign diplomats to the Vatican next week. The following Sunday, May 18, he will preside over his inauguration mass at St Peter's Square, which expected to draw world leaders and thousands of pilgrims. Cardinals have described Leo as cast in the mold of Francis, with a commitment to the poor and disadvantaged, and a focus on those hailing from further-flung areas of the Church. But they say his approach may be less direct than the sometimes impulsive Francis, a progressive who shook up the Church during his 12-year papacy. In an interview with Italian daily La Stampa published Saturday, US Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a conservative archbishop of New York, called the new pope "a man of deep faith, rooted in prayer and capable of listening. "This is what gives us hope; not a political programme or a communicative strategy but the concrete testimony of the Gospel," said Dolan.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vatican goes viral: TikTokers fascinated by pope election
As the world waited this week to see who would be elected the next pope, the major event also took social media by storm, with content creators weighing in with memes and comedic skits about the tradition they dubbed the "Catholic Superbowl." The conclave — the highly secretive ritual of selecting a new pope — began on Wednesday, following Pope Francis' death on April 21. A group of 133 cardinals from the College of Cardinals met at the Vatican to vote through secret ballot, with a two-thirds majority required to select the Catholic Church's next leader. On Thursday afternoon, white smoke was seen billowing from the Sistine Chapel, signaling a new pope had been elected. The conclave later announced that Cardinal Robert F. Prevost was chosen as the new leader of the Catholic Church — which has around 1.4 billion members worldwide. For some members of Generation Z, it was the first conclave they really remembered – the last took place in 2013 – and they took a surprising interest in the hallowed tradition. White Smoke Over Sistine Chapel As New Pope Chosen Content creators on TikTok and Instagram playfully covered the solemn proceedings this week as if it were a sports contest, with popular accounts dubbing the conclave the "Catholic Superbowl" or the "Pope Games." Read On The Fox News App The conclave inspired memes, songs, reality television show parodies, skits and comparisons to the NFL draft that have reached millions of views on social media, Axios reported. Even social media users without any religious beliefs weighed in with their choices for the next pope. One video from an atheist TikToker wishing that Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle would emerge the winner, has racked up over 4 million views. Tagle was dubbed the "Asian Pope Francis" and appeared to be a favorite among liberal TikTokers because of his approachable demeanor and progressive views, according to a columnist at National Catholic Reporter. 'Conclave' Director Says Controversial Scenes In Movie About Papal Elections 'Not A Takedown Of The Church' Social media users also took inspiration from clips from the 2024 Oscar-winning film "Conclave," which experienced a spike in streaming since the death of Pope Francis in April. Politico reported that some cardinals who have never experienced a conclave before looked to the film for guidance on Vatican protocol and proceedings. The White House also joined in the online speculation over the new pope last week, with President Donald Trump jokingly posting an AI-generated image of himself as the pope on Truth Social. Prevost, the first pope ever from North America, chose the papal name Leo XIV. Social media users were quick to make jokes about the new pontiff being an American. Some liberals hoped the new pontiff would share their political leanings, including former Obama aide Jon Favreau, who cheered the pope for his past posts criticizing the Trump administration's immigration article source: Vatican goes viral: TikTokers fascinated by pope election
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leo XIV, new pope and 'humble servant of God', visits Francis's tomb
Leo XIV prayed at the tomb of Pope Francis on Saturday, just two days after being elected new head of the Catholic Church and hours after vowing to humbly follow in his predecessor's footsteps. Vatican News published a photo of the white-robed pope kneeling before Francis's simple marble tomb at the basilica in central Rome, where the faithful are still queueing to pay their respects. The surprise visit to Santa Maria Maggiore, a papal basilica in Rome beloved of Francis, who died on April 21 at age 88, capped a busy day for Leo. Earlier Saturday, Leo had praised Francis's "complete dedication to service" in a meeting at the Vatican with cardinals. He told them he intended to follow in the path of his predecessor during his pontificate. The meeting with the College of Cardinals -- some 133 of whom elected him pontiff Thursday -- revealed some clues as to the priorities and style of the largely unknown Augustinian. Leo explained his new choice of name reflected a commitment to social justice, while describing himself as St Peter's "unworthy Successor". Born Robert Francis Prevost, the first US pope is now charged with leading the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. - Visits Augustinian shrine - He told cardinals a pontiff was "a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this". He praised Francis's "complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life", according to a transcript of the gathering published by the Vatican. "Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith," he told the group, after they welcomed him with a standing ovation upon his arrival. Among the Church priorities championed by Francis, Leo said he intended to uphold "loving care for the least and the rejected" and his "courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities". He also mentioned "the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community" and the efforts of Francis to open the Church to welcome more voices. Saturday afternoon Leo paid a "private visit" to an important shrine for the Augustinian order, the Mother of Good Counsel Sanctuary in Genazzano, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) southeast of Rome, the Vatican said. - Justice, labour - Leo told cardinals he chose his papal name as a homage to Leo XIII, a 19th-century pontiff who had defended workers' rights. His namesake, he said, had "addressed the social question in the context of the first great Industrial Revolution". Today, the Church's social teaching is needed "in response to another Industrial Revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour," Leo added. Leo is the first Augustinian pope, a religious order with a strong focus on missionary outreach and community, which experts say encourages collaboration and discussion before decision-making. In his first homily to cardinals on Friday, Leo urged the Church to restore the faith of millions around the world. Lack of faith, he warned, often went hand-in-hand with "the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society". The former missionary in Peru, who was made cardinal by Francis in 2023, is not a globally recognised figure. He had nevertheless been on many Vatican watchers' lists of potential popes ahead of the conclave. Over the coming days his actions and words will be closely scrutinised. - 'Deep faith' - On Sunday, Leo returns to the balcony of St Peter's Basilica where he was first introduced to the world to give the Regina Coeli prayer to assembled faithful in the square beneath him. Leo plans to meet with foreign diplomats to the Vatican next week. The following Sunday, May 18, he will preside over his inauguration mass at St Peter's Square, which expected to draw world leaders and thousands of pilgrims. Cardinals have described Leo as cast in the mold of Francis, with a commitment to the poor and disadvantaged, and a focus on those hailing from further-flung areas of the Church. But they say his approach may be less direct than the sometimes impulsive Francis, a progressive who shook up the Church during his 12-year papacy. In an interview with Italian daily La Stampa published Saturday, US Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a conservative archbishop of New York, called the new pope "a man of deep faith, rooted in prayer and capable of listening. "This is what gives us hope; not a political programme or a communicative strategy but the concrete testimony of the Gospel," said Dolan. ams-ub/jj
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV: Why the College of Cardinals chose Chicago native and Augustinian to lead the church
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears on the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican shortly after his election as pontiff on May 8. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis) When 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost appeared on the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica for the first time as Pope Leo XIV on May 8, he was cheered loudly by the huge crowd of pilgrims, tourists, local Catholics and other onlookers who had waited hours for the first sign of white smoke and the official announcement. As a specialist in Catholic history and ritual, I know how important this moment was for Catholics and others all over the world. A new pope brings with him a sense of excitement often mixed with uncertainty. But the choice of the College of Cardinals came as a surprise to some. Prevost is the first pope from the United States, and, traditionally, the European-dominated College of Cardinals has had reservations about choosing a cardinal from the U.S. for fear of too much American influence in the church. So, who is Prevost, and what might have influenced the cardinals' vote? Born in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost joined a Catholic religious order at the age of 20: the Order of St. Augustine, called Augustinians, founded in the 13th century. Instead of withdrawing from the world in isolated monasteries, members of this order travel as mendicants to aid the poor as well as serve as missionaries and teachers. Prevost studied theology in the U.S. and Rome, and as a newly ordained priest he spent a year in Peru. After a short return to the U.S. as an official of the Augustinian order in Illinois, he returned to Peru as a seminary professor to teach canon law, the legal structure of the Catholic Church. He would stay in Peru for the next 10 years. In 1999, he became the prior — that is, the head — of the local Augustinian province in Chicago and was later elected prior of the worldwide Augustinian order. This gave him a truly global experience, since the Augustinians had some 50 communities spread across every continent. In 2015, Pope Francis appointed him bishop for the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru. In 2019, Francis appointed him a member of several important Vatican dicasteries, or departments, where he became familiar with the central church administration. Most importantly, he served as prefect, or chairman, on the Dicastery for Bishops. In fact, because of his lengthy pastoral experience in Peru and service at the Vatican, some commentators had noted before Prevost was chosen that if the cardinals were to elect an American pope, it would be him. His service on the Dicastery for Bishops was considered especially important, since members play a key role in selecting new bishops. During the 20th century, especially after the Second Vatican Council — a series of meetings of the world's bishops to modernize the church, ending in 1965 — the popes began to name cardinals from other parts of the world that were previously considered to be on the periphery of the Catholic Church. This led to popes being chosen from outside of Italy for the first time in centuries. Pope St. John Paul II was Polish and the first non-Italian pope since the 16th century. Pope Benedict XVI was another non-Italian, born in Germany, who had served as a Vatican official. Pope Francis was born in South America to parents who were Italian-born immigrants to Argentina. The College of Cardinals, which had few representatives from other continents until recently, is now much more international. Some 80% of the cardinal electors were named by Francis, many from countries that had never before had a cardinal. In reviewing his record, the cardinal electors might have taken a number of factors into account. Prevost would be an effective administrator as head of the church and was an expert in church canon law. He had decades of experience doing pastoral work in South America, as well as in North America. And as prior general of the entire Augustinian order, he would likely have traveled widely to visit many of the communities he supervised. The new pope appeared on the Vatican balcony wearing the traditional papal garments: white cassock, short red cape, decorated red and gold stole, and golden cross hanging around his neck. Francis, on the other hand, had appeared dressed in the plain white cassock of a pope. Certainly, he had not chosen the simplicity of Francis. Was this a sign that he would be more of a traditionalist? His choice of a papal name, I believe, could indicate a different point of view. Pope Leo XIII wrote a groundbreaking encyclical in 1891, 'Rerum Novarum,' subtitled 'On Dignity and Labor.' In this he stressed the rights of workers to unionize and criticized the conditions in which they worked and lived. He also championed other rights the ordinary worker deserved from their bosses and from their government. In his first remarks from the balcony, offering a glimpse into the direction of his papacy, Leo XIV stressed the role of Catholics and the church as peacemakers and bridge-builders, in dialogue with other religious traditions and cultures. His first words were 'Peace be with you all,' describing this peace as 'a disarmed peace, a disarming peace.' He further urged Catholics to act together 'without fear … united with one another … to build bridges' through dialogue and outreach — to bring peace to the world. He may not follow exactly in Francis' footsteps, but he will likely continue walking in the same direction. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Joanne M. Pierce is a professor emerita of religious studies at College of the Holy Cross. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
