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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.
Fox News
09-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Pope Leo XIV, Villanova grad, introduces himself adorned in symbolism, proverbial religious devotion
As silence and stillness calmed the eager world, Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti, overlooking a sea of tens of thousands of teary-eyed viewers in St. Peter's Square, introduced Catholics and non-faithful to the newest pontiff. American Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, was elected to take the papal seat and succeed the deceased Pope Francis on May 8, 2025, after four rounds of conclave voting by 133 members of the College of Cardinals. As the world explores both the tender and commanding qualities that make Pope Leo XIV papabile and worthy of the Vicar of Christ title, one place, a small place of around 10,000 people, is beaming with pride for the newly elected Chicago-native. "It's a super-happy day for all Catholics to have a new pope," Patrick Brennan, chair of Catholic Legal Studies at Villanova University, told Fox News Digital. "I was sitting in the studio when I discovered, as everyone else did, that it was a Villanova graduate who was now the pope." Pope Leo XIV is a graduate of the Class of 1977. Villanova University, a private Catholic university 12 miles outside of Philadelphia, enrolls just 6,700 undergraduate students and 3,100 graduate and law students, according to its website. "It's a hometown boy not just makes good but breaks all the molds," Brennan said. "We have an American pope." Pope Leo XIV is the first pope to ever be elected from the United States. Despite skepticism that the Sacred College would vote for an American pope, Brennan says he was "thrilled" to hear the announcement of Prevost. "The people that I know who know him think that he's a wonderful priest," Brennan told Fox News Digital. "He's been a wonderful member of the Augustinian order, and we know that Pope Francis has entrusted him with great responsibilities. It's a happy day." Prevost was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023. The Augustinian religious order, formerly known as the Order of Saint Augustine and deeply rooted in the beliefs and teachings of influential theologian Saint Augustine, bishop of Hippo, was established in the 13th century. "The Augustinians are not as well-known in the United States as the Jesuits are an important part of the life of the American church," Brennan said. Pope Francis, a Jesuit and the first to serve as a pontificate, made history as the first member of a religious order in centuries. Pope Leo XIV has followed suit historically. "Though they don't have the presence that the Jesuits do, they do an amazing job," Brennan said of the Augustinians. "This will give a huge vote of confidence for them about the work they're doing in the Church." In 1842, the Augustinians founded Villanova University in downtown Philadelphia until later relocating to suburban Philly, where the college is surrounded by lush greenery and beautiful architecture. "When [Pope Leo XIV] would have been in Villanova in the 1970s, it was a beautiful suburban campus of a small Catholic liberal arts college with high standards and a great love of the Catholic tradition and a whole lot of Villanova spirit," Brennan said. "When I came to Villanova, I was stunned, and I still am by the incredible enthusiasm Villanova students and alumni have for their experience and for the Villanova community." Pope Leo XIV celebrated his electoral triumph by praying the prayer of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with the world. "I think that that was one of the ways he symbolized his traditional piety," Brennan said. "His desire to signal to the world that he's a Catholic who prays the way that Catholics traditionally do. Pope Francis was known for his great devotion to the blessed Virgin Mary, which is part of the reason he made the unusual decision to be buried in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore." Pope Francis, shortly after becoming the Bishop of Rome in 2013, revealed his burial plans. "Choosing to pray the Hail Mary was a signal of continuity and piety," Brennan said of Pope Leo XIV. Finally, for the namesake, Brennan says he envisions the selection was made as a symbolic gesture. "He jumped over a whole century, back to the name of a pope who died in 1903 who left the Church a huge legacy of deep understanding of the place of a human person and the Catholic Church in the modern world," Brennan said. "I think Pope Leo XIV, by choosing that name, is attaching himself to a legacy that he can, and I believe intends to, open for a world that's changed a great deal and needs new light and understanding of the kind he probably associates and finds in the world of Pope Leo XIII," Brennan said.
Globe and Mail
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
In becoming Leo XIV, the new Pope may be eschewing the Vatican's factionalism
Michael W. Higgins is the Basilian Distinguished Fellow of Contemporary Catholic Thought at the University of Toronto's St. Michael's College, and the author of The Jesuit Disruptor: A Personal Portrait of Pope Francis. The Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, Dominique Mamberti, emerged onto the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Wednesday, intoning the well-worn Latin words traditionally used to announce to the world the new Bishop of Rome: 'Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam!' ('I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope!') Not only a new pope, but a surprising one. Robert Francis Prevost – most recently the prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, as well as a former prior-general of the Order of St. Augustine (the Augustinians) – was chosen by his fellow cardinal electors as the supreme pontiff, successor of St. Peter, and head of the Vatican City State, among other pontifical titles, dignities and responsibilities. He has chosen as his papal name Leo XIV. He is a surprising choice. Although his name surfaced in some of the lists of papabili (those considered likely candidates for the papacy), he was not ranked in the first tier. But he has been around for some time doing the kinds of things that position you nicely for the highest leadership of the Roman Catholic Church: pastoral work, missionary experience, comprehensive language skills, oversight of a religious order with extensive global reach, a canon-law doctorate from a Roman pontifical university, and senior Vatican governance exposure. He is a surprising choice as well in that he is an American. The College of Cardinals has been hitherto wary about electing a citizen of the United States to the Petrine office. That wariness, in part, stems from Rome's condemnation of the heresy of 'Americanism,' as it was called by no less a figure than Leo XIII, who was pope from 1878 to 1903. This 'heresy' consisted of ways of thinking that attempted to align American political values and cultural ethos with traditional Roman Catholic tenets and historical practices. In other words, Rome looked askance at various developments in the 'new world' that put at peril the integrity of the Catholic tradition. It didn't help that this new world began with predominantly Protestant, and in some cases virulently anti-Catholic, settlements. Rome's anti-Americanist sympathies persisted for decades before being laid to rest during the Second Vatican Council, held from 1962 to 1965. Prior to this, there had been a rapid increase in the U.S. Catholic population because of mass immigration from Catholic countries in Europe, which was followed by a rise of confidence in the American Catholic Church as a major player in the political life of the country. One thing Leo XIV has done already is put a stake in the heart of Leo XIII's anxiety over American Catholic fidelity to the Holy See. A son of Chicago now calls the shots in the Vatican. Born to parents of Franco-Italian and Spanish descent, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the Augustinian Villanova University in Philadelphia in 1977, the same year that he joined the Augustinians. He was ordained a priest of that order in 1982 and shortly after began a long association with Peru, serving as chancellor of the Territorial Prelature of Chulucanas and eventually heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo. Although he would return to the U.S. to serve as a provincial prior of his order in 1999, and then shortly after be elected as head of the entire order in 2001, he would return to Peru as Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015. He took on additional episcopal responsibilities in the country before being called to Rome in January, 2023, to serve as the head of the bishop-making department in the curial bureaucracy (a very critical and key position in the Vatican hierarchy). In September of the same year, he was created a cardinal by Pope Francis. Certainly, Francis was impressed by Prevost's missionary credentials, his easy command of Spanish, his support for the Argentine former pope's synodality undertaking – a reshaping of the church in keeping with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council – and for his generally irenic personality. By choosing to take the name Leo – given that Leo XIII was also the pope who ushered in over a century of Catholic social teachings with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum – Prevost has sent a clear message of papal continuity. He also adroitly avoided feeding the toxicity amongst various Catholic factions by not opting for Benedict XVII or Francis II. By stretching back over a century to the first modern pope, he confirmed his allegiance to Catholic social doctrine without whipping up hostilities between the Bergoglio (Francis) and Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) camps. Leo XIII is best known for his revival and endorsement of the philosophical and theological thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, and his championing of labourers and their rights in industrial Europe. His condemnation of Americanism is more of a historical footnote, but still, Prevost's election is a sweet vindication of the pastoral fecundity and ardour of American Catholics. It is also more than that. By choosing an American with international exposure, a refined social-justice sensitivity, a commitment to the priorities of Francis regarding socio-economic inequity, global migration, and the evils of ethno-nationalism, the cardinals have set up on the Tiber an antidote to the insularity and intolerance on the Potomac. A true bridge builder, or Pontifex Maximus. But I suspect that there is a more conservative streak in Leo XIV than Francis. The fact that he chose to wear the traditional papal regalia when he first appeared on the balcony, in sharp contrast with Francis's eschewing of the elaborate apostolic stole, is more than a fashion statement. He likely will be more conventionally papal in his behaviour. The election of the first American pope is an electric moment, and not just for the Catholic Church. However, the proof will be in the papal pudding, as it were, and we will see in the months to come the direction in which the 267th pope will lead us.
LBCI
08-05-2025
- General
- LBCI
Cardinal Robert Prevost under the name of Leo XIV declared Supreme Pontiff, succeeding Pope Francis
On the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, senior cardinal deacon, Dominique Mamberti, announced Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new pontiff. Cardinal Mamberti proclaimed "Habemus papam," a Latin phrase meaning, "We have a Pope." The new pope took the name of Leo XIV, the first American pontiff in history.
NBC News
08-05-2025
- General
- NBC News
Catholic Americans rejoice for Pope Leo XIV
In truth, the first emotion that swept this part of the square was confusion. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announced the result in Latin. The 40,000 people assembled in the square got the 'habemus papam' bit — 'we have a pope' — which elicited more cheers. But the actual name was swallowed up by the cheers. 'Who did they say?' one person asked over the clamor. 'Did he say Robert Sarah?' wondered someone else, referring to the Guinean cardinal well regarded by bookmakers beforehand. Soon Prevost's name began rippling through the crowd. 'È l'americano,' one Italian said. Most Americans felt a rush of pride — though few had actually heard of the new pontiff. 'I'm ecstatic,' said Alec Maddox, 32, a consultant who lives in San Diego. Although he and his two brothers, Tommy, 30, and Jack, 28, admitted they didn't know too much about the new Pope Leo XIV either.
