Latest news with #MatteoBruni
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
What's in a Name? In the Case of Leo XIV, Lessons in Bridging Historical Shifts
What's in a name? A lot it turns out. Matteo Bruni, a Vatican spokesman, told reporters on Thursday that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost's choice to be called Pope Leo XIV had been a clear and deliberate reference to the last Leo, who led during a difficult time for the Roman Catholic Church and helped marshal it into the modern world. Leo XIII — who was head of the church from 1878 to 1903, one of the longest reigns in papal history — is known for his 1891 encyclical 'Rerum Novarum,' which strongly defended the rights of working people to a living wage and set the tone for the church's modern social doctrine. He became known as the 'pope of the workers.' 'Addressing the rising socialist threat — as the church saw it in the late 19th century,' Leo XIII 'called on the church to reach out to a working class and to basically try to ameliorate some of these goals of capitalism and to benefit the working class and work out a amicable relationship between capital and labor,' said David I. Kertzer, a professor at Brown University whose book 'Prisoner of the Vatican' examined the role of Leo XIII's predecessor, Pius IX, the last sovereign ruler of the Papal States. 'In that sense,' Leo XIII is 'seen as a kind of connection between the pre-modern and the modern church.' 'The choice of name is a moderate reference, in that Leo XIII was a pre-modern pope and conservative in many ways, but he was also a transitional figure reaching out to the poor,' said Professor Kertzer. 'You could say he was a middle-of-the-roader.' The selection of the name Leo XIV 'seems like a choice of following Francis, but taking the edges off,' he added. Leo XIII was a strong pope who was 'very much engaged in the issues of his time,' said Robert Orsi, a professor of religious studies and history at Northwestern University. 'He responded with authority and compassion to the industrial era' and defended workers' rights and labor organizations. Choosing to be called Leo XIV could signal the new pope's intention 'to equally engage the issues of his time,' Professor Orsi said. Pope Leo XIV referred to the notion of a global church open to the world in his first address to the faithful on Thursday, which Professor Orsi said might be a signal 'that he'll be challenging resurgent nationalism everywhere in the world.' Mr. Bruni, the Vatican spokesman, said that choosing the name of a pope associated with the church's modern doctrine 'was clearly a reference to the lives of men and women, to their work — even in an age marked by artificial intelligence.' Leo XIII began his reign with the papacy having lost its temporal power when the Papal States it had ruled for hundreds of years were annexed by a unifying Italy in 1870. He sought to reinforce that the role retained a moral authority that reached beyond national borders, said Roberto Rusconi, a church historian. Mr. Rusconi added that Leo XIII had also deepened devotion to the Virgin Mary, writing 11 encyclicals on the rosary, the cycle of prayers invoking Mary that Catholics count out on rosary beads. Leo XIV recited the rosary at the end of his first address Thursday. Leo XIII was the first pope to appear on film. He founded the Vatican Observatory, a research institute, as a signal of the church's openness to science. 'It must be clear that the Church and its pastors do not oppose true and sound science, both human and divine, but that they embrace, encourage and promote it with all possible commitment,' he wrote.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV elected: Live updates after Cardinal Prevost named 1st American pontiff by conclave
A new pope has been elected. Robert Francis Prevost, the first American pope, has been selected by the papal conclave to take over as leader of the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church. The new pontiff, who has taken the name Leo XIV, was chosen on day 2 of the conclave. It came over two weeks after the death of Pope Francis at age 88. Prevost, 69, is a Chicago-born cardinal who previously served in Peru for two decades. Just after 6 p.m. local time in Vatican City (noon ET), white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney as bells rang, which symbolized that the conclave had reached the two-thirds majority necessary for a new pope. Previous votes, which resulted in black smoke coming from the chapel, meant that a vote was inconclusive and did not reach a decision. The papal conclave began on May 7 with 133 electors, the largest number of voting cardinals in history. A crowd of more than 10,000 people had gathered in St. Peter's Square on Thursday to await the results of the votes. The newly elected pope appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where he was introduced to the world. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni provided the following schedule for the new pope's next few days: Friday: Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass at 11 a.m. local time at the Sistine Chapel. Sunday: He will deliver his first Sunday blessing at noon from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica. Monday: The new pope will speak with journalists in the Vatican auditorium. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres extended his "heartfelt congratulations" to newly elected Pope Leo XIV and to Catholics around the world during a time of "great global challenges." "Our world is in need of the strongest voices for peace, social justice, human dignity and compassion," he said in a Thursday statement. "I look forward to building on the long legacy of cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See — nurtured most recently by Pope Francis — to advance solidarity, foster reconciliation, and build a just and sustainable world for all." We live in a time when you can bet on just about anything. So it's no surprise that a whole lot of gamblers put their money on the line trying to predict who would become the next pope. For betting markets, the conclave's decision to name American Cardinal Robert Prevost as the Catholic Church's new leader was an upset at a scale that almost never happens in sports. In the hours before the selection was announced, Prevost was listed on the popular betting site Polymarket as having a 0.6% chance of being named the next pope. That put him far behind the two favorites, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, who had 62% and 25% odds, respectively. JUST IN: AMERICAN POPE ROBERT FRANCIS PREVOST HAS BEEN ANNOUNCEDNobody saw that 0 to 100 in an instant. — Polymarket (@Polymarket) May 8, 2025 During the weeks following Pope Francis's death, Prevost's odds of being chosen never rose higher than 2.1%, meaning the worst anyone who bet on him could do was make 98 cents for every dollar they wagered. Some bettors made huge profits when their long-shot bets came in. Polymarket shared the results for one user who raked in more than $63,000 on a $1,000 bet. A different betting site called Kalshi shared that one of its users made more than $52,000 after putting $526 down for Prevost to win. The conclave, the centuries-old process used to elect a pope, is notoriously secretive. But the Vatican has released a couple of images from inside the Sistine Chapel following Pope Leo's election on Thursday. They show him standing in front of the cardinal electors beneath Michelangelo's Last Judgment. Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1955. In addition to English, the new pope speaks Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese; he can read Latin and German. He is the first Augustinian pope, according to the Vatican, which means he belongs to a Catholic order known for its commitment to community and sharing. Prevost attended secondary school at an Augustinian seminary and officially joined the order in 1977. In between, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics at Villanova University. Prevost went on to spend much of his adult life abroad, in Peru. From 1999 to 2014, Prevost worked in Chicago, where he first led the city's Augustinian Province and then served two six-year terms as head of the Augustinians. Like other cardinals, he has been criticized for his dealings there with priests accused of sexual abuse. Read more from Yahoo News reporter Andrew Romano: Who is Robert Francis Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV? Pope Leo XIV will soon take over the @pontifex account on X, like his predecessors. But Robert Prevost, the newly elected pope, was already fairly active on the platform formerly known as Twitter. He joined in 2011. His most recent post, dated April 14, is a reshare of an X post that is critical of the Trump administration's deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a U.S. citizen, to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Another post dated Feb. 13 links to an essay by Pope Francis speaking out against the Trump administration's treatment of immigrants. Pope Francis' letter, JD Vance's 'ordo amoris' and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration — Robert Prevost (@drprevost) February 13, 2025 And a post dated Feb. 3 shares the link of an op-ed in the National Catholic Reporter titled "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others." JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others via @NCRonline — Robert Prevost (@drprevost) February 3, 2025 Trump and Vance, though, were congratulatory while reacting to the news of the first U.S.-born pope. Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I'm sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him! — JD Vance (@JDVance) May 8, 2025 "Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!" In a social media post, former President Barack Obama congratulated fellow Chicagoan Robert Prevost for being elected the new pontiff, calling it a "historic day." Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 8, 2025 Usually, within a week of a new pontiff being elected, a ceremonial Mass is held either in St. Peter's Square or the basilica to formally install the new pope. In attendance at the Mass will be cardinals, bishops and other international dignitaries. Modern ceremonies are more modest and have abandoned much of the pageantry once involved, like crowning the new pope with a three-tiered headdress. Tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square to see and hear from Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost. Here's a view of the crowd via Reuters photographer Murad Sezer. In his first remarks after being chosen as the new pontiff today, Pope Leo XIV outlined his vision for the Catholic Church. "We have to seek together to be a missionary church. A church that builds bridges and dialogue," he said, according to an English translation of his remarks, which were mostly in Italian. He also called on people to "show our charity" to others "and be in dialog with love." He also paid tribute to the late Pope Francis, saying: "Let us keep in our ears the weak voice of Pope Francis that blesses Rome. The Pope who blessed Rome, gave his blessing to the entire world that morning of Easter. Allow me to follow up on that blessing. God loves us. God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail." President Trump welcomed the news of the first American pope and congratulated Cardinal Robert Prevost in a post on social media, writing: "Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!" Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is the 14th pontiff to carry the name Leo as head of the Catholic church. There have been more than 250 popes altogether, and some names have been reused many times. Thanks to the new pope, Leo now moves into a tie for fourth most-common papal name with Clement. The only names used more times than Leo are Benedict (15 times), Gregory (16 times) and John (21 times). We're quickly learning more about Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first American to be elected pontiff. Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago but spent more than two decades in Peru, where he became a bishop and a naturalized citizen, according to the New York Times. He rose through the religious ranks from there, running the Vatican office that selects and manages bishops around the world. He was made a cardinal by Pope Francis less than two years ago. He speaks Spanish and Italian and is "often described as reserved and discreet," the New York Times reported. Pope Leo XIV stepped out on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican before a massive cheering crowd on Thursday and looked visibly emotional. His first words as pope were, "Peace be with you." Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago-born cardinal who previously served in Peru, was named the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday following the conclave's decisive vote. He is the first American pope. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti made the announcement from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. Mamberti also announced Prevost's chosen papal name: Pope Leo. The crowd in St. Peter's Square continues to grow as they wait for the new pope to appear. More than 10,000 had gathered at the Vatican when white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, touching off celebrations among the faithful. And thousands more have arrived since in anticipation of the announcement. Here are some photos of the reactions in and around the Vatican. As the white smoke clears from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, attention now shifts to the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where the new pope will be introduced. Yahoo News breaks down three things the pope does the first day on the job: Here's what it looked like from St. Peter's Square (video via Vatican News) Habemus Papam! — Vatican News (@vaticannews_pt) May 8, 2025 The 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church will soon appear on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where his identity and his chosen papal name will be revealed to the world. Before that, the new pope will be led to the "Room of Tears," a small room next to the Sistine Chapel, where he dons the white papal vestments for the first time," according to Vatican News, the official publication of the Vatican. He then return to the Sistine Chapel for a brief ceremony and introduction. "Afterwards, all the Cardinal electors, in order of precedence, come forward to greet the new Pope and pledge their obedience to him," per the Vatican news. The announcement on the loggia of St. Peter's will be made by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, the protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, who will begin with a simple message: "I announce you a great joy: We have a pope!" Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni provided the following schedule for the new pope's next few days: Friday: Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass at 11 a.m. local time at the Sistine Chapel. Sunday: He will deliver his first Sunday blessing at noon from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica. Monday: The new pope will speak with journalists in the Vatican auditorium. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres extended his "heartfelt congratulations" to newly elected Pope Leo XIV and to Catholics around the world during a time of "great global challenges." "Our world is in need of the strongest voices for peace, social justice, human dignity and compassion," he said in a Thursday statement. "I look forward to building on the long legacy of cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See — nurtured most recently by Pope Francis — to advance solidarity, foster reconciliation, and build a just and sustainable world for all." We live in a time when you can bet on just about anything. So it's no surprise that a whole lot of gamblers put their money on the line trying to predict who would become the next pope. For betting markets, the conclave's decision to name American Cardinal Robert Prevost as the Catholic Church's new leader was an upset at a scale that almost never happens in sports. In the hours before the selection was announced, Prevost was listed on the popular betting site Polymarket as having a 0.6% chance of being named the next pope. That put him far behind the two favorites, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, who had 62% and 25% odds, respectively. JUST IN: AMERICAN POPE ROBERT FRANCIS PREVOST HAS BEEN ANNOUNCEDNobody saw that 0 to 100 in an instant. — Polymarket (@Polymarket) May 8, 2025 During the weeks following Pope Francis's death, Prevost's odds of being chosen never rose higher than 2.1%, meaning the worst anyone who bet on him could do was make 98 cents for every dollar they wagered. Some bettors made huge profits when their long-shot bets came in. Polymarket shared the results for one user who raked in more than $63,000 on a $1,000 bet. A different betting site called Kalshi shared that one of its users made more than $52,000 after putting $526 down for Prevost to win. The conclave, the centuries-old process used to elect a pope, is notoriously secretive. But the Vatican has released a couple of images from inside the Sistine Chapel following Pope Leo's election on Thursday. They show him standing in front of the cardinal electors beneath Michelangelo's Last Judgment. Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1955. In addition to English, the new pope speaks Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese; he can read Latin and German. He is the first Augustinian pope, according to the Vatican, which means he belongs to a Catholic order known for its commitment to community and sharing. Prevost attended secondary school at an Augustinian seminary and officially joined the order in 1977. In between, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics at Villanova University. Prevost went on to spend much of his adult life abroad, in Peru. From 1999 to 2014, Prevost worked in Chicago, where he first led the city's Augustinian Province and then served two six-year terms as head of the Augustinians. Like other cardinals, he has been criticized for his dealings there with priests accused of sexual abuse. Read more from Yahoo News reporter Andrew Romano: Who is Robert Francis Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV? Pope Leo XIV will soon take over the @pontifex account on X, like his predecessors. But Robert Prevost, the newly elected pope, was already fairly active on the platform formerly known as Twitter. He joined in 2011. His most recent post, dated April 14, is a reshare of an X post that is critical of the Trump administration's deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a U.S. citizen, to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Another post dated Feb. 13 links to an essay by Pope Francis speaking out against the Trump administration's treatment of immigrants. Pope Francis' letter, JD Vance's 'ordo amoris' and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration — Robert Prevost (@drprevost) February 13, 2025 And a post dated Feb. 3 shares the link of an op-ed in the National Catholic Reporter titled "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others." JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others via @NCRonline — Robert Prevost (@drprevost) February 3, 2025 Trump and Vance, though, were congratulatory while reacting to the news of the first U.S.-born pope. Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I'm sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him! — JD Vance (@JDVance) May 8, 2025 "Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!" In a social media post, former President Barack Obama congratulated fellow Chicagoan Robert Prevost for being elected the new pontiff, calling it a "historic day." Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 8, 2025 Usually, within a week of a new pontiff being elected, a ceremonial Mass is held either in St. Peter's Square or the basilica to formally install the new pope. In attendance at the Mass will be cardinals, bishops and other international dignitaries. Modern ceremonies are more modest and have abandoned much of the pageantry once involved, like crowning the new pope with a three-tiered headdress. Tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square to see and hear from Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost. Here's a view of the crowd via Reuters photographer Murad Sezer. In his first remarks after being chosen as the new pontiff today, Pope Leo XIV outlined his vision for the Catholic Church. "We have to seek together to be a missionary church. A church that builds bridges and dialogue," he said, according to an English translation of his remarks, which were mostly in Italian. He also called on people to "show our charity" to others "and be in dialog with love." He also paid tribute to the late Pope Francis, saying: "Let us keep in our ears the weak voice of Pope Francis that blesses Rome. The Pope who blessed Rome, gave his blessing to the entire world that morning of Easter. Allow me to follow up on that blessing. God loves us. God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail." President Trump welcomed the news of the first American pope and congratulated Cardinal Robert Prevost in a post on social media, writing: "Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!" Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is the 14th pontiff to carry the name Leo as head of the Catholic church. There have been more than 250 popes altogether, and some names have been reused many times. Thanks to the new pope, Leo now moves into a tie for fourth most-common papal name with Clement. The only names used more times than Leo are Benedict (15 times), Gregory (16 times) and John (21 times). We're quickly learning more about Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first American to be elected pontiff. Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago but spent more than two decades in Peru, where he became a bishop and a naturalized citizen, according to the New York Times. He rose through the religious ranks from there, running the Vatican office that selects and manages bishops around the world. He was made a cardinal by Pope Francis less than two years ago. He speaks Spanish and Italian and is "often described as reserved and discreet," the New York Times reported. Pope Leo XIV stepped out on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican before a massive cheering crowd on Thursday and looked visibly emotional. His first words as pope were, "Peace be with you." Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago-born cardinal who previously served in Peru, was named the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday following the conclave's decisive vote. He is the first American pope. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti made the announcement from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. Mamberti also announced Prevost's chosen papal name: Pope Leo. The crowd in St. Peter's Square continues to grow as they wait for the new pope to appear. More than 10,000 had gathered at the Vatican when white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, touching off celebrations among the faithful. And thousands more have arrived since in anticipation of the announcement. Here are some photos of the reactions in and around the Vatican. As the white smoke clears from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, attention now shifts to the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where the new pope will be introduced. Yahoo News breaks down three things the pope does the first day on the job: Here's what it looked like from St. Peter's Square (video via Vatican News) Habemus Papam! — Vatican News (@vaticannews_pt) May 8, 2025 The 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church will soon appear on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where his identity and his chosen papal name will be revealed to the world. Before that, the new pope will be led to the "Room of Tears," a small room next to the Sistine Chapel, where he dons the white papal vestments for the first time," according to Vatican News, the official publication of the Vatican. He then return to the Sistine Chapel for a brief ceremony and introduction. "Afterwards, all the Cardinal electors, in order of precedence, come forward to greet the new Pope and pledge their obedience to him," per the Vatican news. The announcement on the loggia of St. Peter's will be made by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, the protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, who will begin with a simple message: "I announce you a great joy: We have a pope!"
CNN
08-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
What's in a name? The history of the papal name Leo
Leo is now tied for the fourth most common name chosen by popes, along with Clement. Only John, Gregory and Benedict have proven more popular. But we haven't had a Pope Leo in more than a century. The last Pope Leo was Leo XIII, who was born in French-occupied Rome in 1810. He served as pope from 1878 until his death in 1903, making his 25-year papacy the fourth longest in the church's history. Leo XIII is remembered as a pope of Catholic social teaching. He wrote a famous open letter to all Catholics in 1891, called 'Rerum Novarum' ('Of Revolutionary Change'). The pamphlet reflected on the destruction wrought by the Industrial Revolution on the lives of workers. In a press briefing Thursday after the conclave, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said the choice of name 'is a clear reference to the modern social doctrine of the Church, which began with Rerum Novarum.' Bruni said the name Leo was a deliberate reference to 'men, women, their work, and workers in an age of artificial intelligence,' seeming to link the pace of technological change of the current era to that of the nineteenth century. The first Pope Leo, who served in the fifth century, is known as 'Leo the Great,' and is remembered for persuading Attila the Hun to halt his invasion and spare the Roman Empire from destruction. Their meeting was rendered in a 1514 painting by Raphael. The Renaissance work is now displayed in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, which the 133 voting cardinals – including Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Leo XIV – passed through as they proceeded into the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday for the start of the conclave. In the painting, an unarmed Pope Leo – watched over by St. Peter and St. Paul – calmly confronts Attila and his army. Their meeting is celebrated by Catholics for showing that peaceful agreements can be reached without violence. Leo XIV used his first words as pope to call for peace. 'Peace be with you,' he called out from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. 'This was the first greeting of the risen Christ,' he said. The name Leo derives from the Latin for 'lion,' suggesting strength and courage. In his address from the balcony, Leo XIV said the church can still hear 'the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis,' his predecessor. CNN's Sharon Braithwaite contributed reporting.
CNN
08-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
What's in a name? The history of the papal name Leo
Leo is now tied for the fourth most common name chosen by popes, along with Clement. Only John, Gregory and Benedict have proven more popular. But we haven't had a Pope Leo in more than a century. The last Pope Leo was Leo XIII, who was born in French-occupied Rome in 1810. He served as pope from 1878 until his death in 1903, making his 25-year papacy the fourth longest in the church's history. Leo XIII is remembered as a pope of Catholic social teaching. He wrote a famous open letter to all Catholics in 1891, called 'Rerum Novarum' ('Of Revolutionary Change'). The pamphlet reflected on the destruction wrought by the Industrial Revolution on the lives of workers. In a press briefing Thursday after the conclave, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said the choice of name 'is a clear reference to the modern social doctrine of the Church, which began with Rerum Novarum.' Bruni said the name Leo was a deliberate reference to 'men, women, their work, and workers in an age of artificial intelligence,' seeming to link the pace of technological change of the current era to that of the nineteenth century. The first Pope Leo, who served in the fifth century, is known as 'Leo the Great,' and is remembered for persuading Attila the Hun to halt his invasion and spare the Roman Empire from destruction. Their meeting was rendered in a 1514 painting by Raphael. The Renaissance work is now displayed in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, which the 133 voting cardinals – including Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Leo XIV – passed through as they proceeded into the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday for the start of the conclave. In the painting, an unarmed Pope Leo – watched over by St. Peter and St. Paul – calmly confronts Attila and his army. Their meeting is celebrated by Catholics for showing that peaceful agreements can be reached without violence. Leo XIV used his first words as pope to call for peace. 'Peace be with you,' he called out from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. 'This was the first greeting of the risen Christ,' he said. The name Leo derives from the Latin for 'lion,' suggesting strength and courage. In his address from the balcony, Leo XIV said the church can still hear 'the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis,' his predecessor. CNN's Sharon Braithwaite contributed reporting.
eNCA
06-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Cardinals to move into Vatican on eve of conclave
VATICAN CITY - Cardinals will on Tuesday begin moving into the Vatican accommodation where they will stay during the conclave, on the eve of their historic, secretive meeting to elect a new pope. Following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April, 133 cardinal electors will gather on Wednesday in the Sistine Chapel to select from among their number the new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. They normally stay in the Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse, which has en-suite bathrooms and hotel-style room service, but there are not enough rooms for them all. As a result, some of the cardinals will be housed at Santa Marta Vecchia, a building next door usually used to accommodate Vatican officials, with rooms allocated by drawing lots. With representatives from 70 countries across five continents, this conclave is the largest and the most international ever. Some 80 percent of the cardinals were elected by Francis, an energetic reformer from Buenos Aires who helped open up the Church during his 12-year papacy. But experts warn against assuming they will choose a progressive in his mould, and many conservatives are hoping for someone who will turn the focus back onto key doctrine. The 2,000-year-old Catholic Church has huge global influence but is struggling to adapt to the modern world and recover its reputation after the scandal of widespread child sex abuse by priests. For the past fortnight, cardinals from across the world have been holding near daily preparatory meetings to discuss the challenges -- and what they want and need from their new leader. In the final meeting on Tuesday morning before the conclave, they discussed Francis's reforms -- on tackling abuse and on Vatican finances, among others, according to press spokesman Matteo Bruni. They also discussed divisions within the Church and the need for a pope to bring hope, he said. Francis dedicated many of his pronouncements to calling for peace around the world, notably in the Middle East and Ukraine. In a statement, the cardinals noted "with regret" the lack of progress towards ending those conflicts, calling for ceasefires and negotiations without preconditions. - 'Five or six contenders' - The cardinal electors -- those aged under 80 -- will gather for a mass on Wednesday morning ahead of the conclave, which begins at 4:30pm (1430 GMT) that afternoon and could last several days. Both Francis and his predecessor, Benedict XVI, were elected within two days but the longest papal election in Church history lasted 1,006 days, from 1268 to 1271. More than a dozen names are circulating as potential frontrunners, from Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to Hungarian conservative Peter Erdo. But with no candidate lists and no campaigning, and given the diversity of the electors, many experts warn there could be a surprise. Franco-Algerian cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco said the preparatory meetings -- which include electors aged under 80 as well as older cardinals -- have helped bring together a very disparate group. "We've come from so many countries, many of us had never met before. Finally we have got to know each other," he told Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper. There are "at least five or six" contenders, he said. "There were the so-called 'natural' candidates, those already known for their role and personality. And there are those who speak and make you think 'that is strong'." "But there is no-one who 'trounces' the others, who you think 'he's the one'. Yet it will happen", Vesco said. - 'Living history' - At the Vatican on Tuesday, tourists mulled over what they would like to see in the new pontiff. "He must not be too closed-minded. He must support young people who have different values than us," said Mexican tourist Veronica de Garcia, 30. But "a pope who is in favour of abortion is unthinkable, because there are things that cannot be negotiated", said Enzo Orsingher, 78, from Rome. The cardinals are sworn to secrecy, risking excommunication if they reveal what happens in the conclave, and are forbidden from contacting the outside world until they have a decision. AFP | Gabriel BOUYS The Vatican announced late on Monday that it would cut the phone signal within the tiny city state from 3:00 pm on Wednesday until a new pope is elected -- although this will not affect St Peter's Square. Required to leave their mobile telephones behind when the voting process begins, the cardinals will let the world know their progress by burning their ballots to produce smoke -- black for no decision, white for a new pope. The staff who will support them during the election, from medics to lift operators, canteen and cleaning staff, are also bound to secrecy, and took their own oaths on Monday.
