Latest news with #Wenski
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Totally stunned.' New pope a happy shock for Miami's Catholic leaders, faithful
To the joyful surprise of many Catholics across South Florida, the new pope is American — one who served the church as a missionary and bishop for decades in Peru and speaks Spanish with native fluency. Cardinal Robert Prevost — who was born in Chicago and became the first pontiff from the United States in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church — took the name Pope Leo XIV. Most Vatican City watchers had considered him a long-shot and his election, just two days into a conclave of 133 cardinals, came as an unexpected but welcome milestone for many, including Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski. 'I think most people were surprised because for years they discounted the possibility of an American being elected as Pope,' Wenski told the Miami Herald in an interview. Wenski said that Leo XIV is technically the second pope from the Americas since his beloved predecessor Pope Francis was born in Argentina. 'We shouldn't present him in a narrow fashion that he's an American Pope... he is perhaps more international than American, because he was spent most of his priesthood as a missionary in Peru.' Born in Chicago in 1955, Leo XiV was ordained in 1982 and moved to Peru three years later, working for a decade in Trujillo before being appointed bishop of Chiclayo, where he served from 2014 to 2023. He received Peruvian citizenship but frequently traveled back to his home town. Leo XIV is a member of the Augustinian religious order, a global group known for its commitment to community outreach and service. Wenski said the Leo XIII, the last pope to be called Leo, was known for his papal teachings advocating for the rights of the working class, in response to the dangers of unchecked capitalism. 'He was the first pope that elaborated on what we now call Catholic social teachings,' Wenski said about Pope Leo XIII. 'Every Pope since Leo XIII has made social encyclicals that have really influenced the church in their outreach towards what we could call justice ministries.' Wenski said that the first Leo, known as Leo the Great, famously saved Rome from being conquered by Attila the Hun. 'Perhaps, like Leo the Great he will fend off the barbarians at our gates today – or like Leo XIII continue to develop teachings on social issues – like worker rights, migration, just wages, the environment, responsibility to the poor,' Wenski wrote in an email. The choice to be called Leo and focus on social justice suggests that the new pope's leadership might continue in the direction of Francis, who was known for his commitment to service and acceptance. Ahead of the conclave, many Catholics in Miami were hoping to see the church follow Francis' legacy. READ MORE: 'Let's build bridges.' Many Miami Catholics hope conclave continues legacy of Francis Jesuit priest Guillermo García-Tuñón, known as Father 'Willie', said he was downright shocked to hear the news. 'My reaction was to be totally stunned,' said García-Tuñón, who is the president of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, 'Just leave it to the Cardinals to always throw curve balls at you. Because you have certain expectations and think of individuals who are front runners, but at the end of the day they always seem to surprise us.' García-Tuñón was in the dining hall with about 900 students when the news of the new pontiff was announced. 'It just so happened that the white smoke shows up during lunch, and then, of course, the bell rings and nobody was moving, including myself.' The students didn't understand the announcement at first, which was in Latin. But, as soon as García-Tuñón realized who it was, he ran to the microphone. 'I say to the boys, 'the guy who was elected took the name, Leo the 14th ... and he's from the United States. He's an American. And the kids started cheering. All 900 of them were cheering like if it was a hockey game.' Xiomara Méndez Hernández, executive director of the Dominican Sisters Conference, experienced the day's excitement live from the Vatican. 'It was truly a remarkable experience to be in the Vatican and receive Pope Leo's blessing in person at the Piazza,' Hernández said in an email to the Herald. She said the election resonates with 'the spirituality' of the Dominican Order, which follows the rules of Saint Augustine. 'Hearing him ask for permission to speak in Spanish brought me immense joy,' she said. 'His call for peace, justice, unity and love has renewed my hope, not only for the Church but for the entire world.' Wenski was wrapping up a mass at St. Martha's Parish when the white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel in Rome, signaling a new pope had been chosen. The special mass was held to offer prayers for the cardinals while they were sequestered in the conclave. 'Everybody started applauding. I said 'your prayers have been very effective,' Wenski said. As Leo XIV spoke his first words to crowds at the Vatican, he urged people to first remember Pope Francis, who died a little over two weeks ago on Easter Monday. Speaking in Italian, he told the world, 'peace be with you,' and offered his vision for a church of dialogue and missionary evangelization. 'We have to seek together to be a missionary church. A church that builds bridges and dialogue,' Leo said. Ellie Hidalgo, co-director of Discerning Deacons, a group that advocates on behalf of women's roles in the Catholic Church, also was delighted by the selection. 'I feel the overflow of grace … the Cardinals, guided by the Holy Spirit, have chosen the pope we need,' said Hidalgo. 'I just love that he is an American Pope who has spent so much time in Latin America.' Hidalgo said she had met Leo XIV, when he was still Cardinal Prevost, a few months ago in Rome. 'He quoted extensively from Pope Francis' address to deacons in Rome ... He said that St Augustine said that 'to move forward in faith, Be humble. Be humble. Be humble.'' She said that she feels the new pope is well-positioned to continue the work of Francis. The new pontiff once led the Vatican office that appoints new bishops to the pope. That administrative body included three women for the first time in history — which also gives her hope as someone who has been advocating for years for the expansion of women's leadership roles in the church. 'We thought it was wonderful ... another good sign of the growth of women's participation on important committees and important decision making tables.' This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Miami Herald
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Totally stunned.' New pope a happy shock for Miami's Catholic leaders, faithful
To the joyful surprise of many Catholics across South Florida, the new pope is American — one who served the church as a missionary and bishop for decades in Peru and speaks Spanish with native fluency. Cardinal Robert Prevost — who was born in Chicago and became the first pontiff from the United States in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church — took the name Pope Leo XIV. Most Vatican City watchers had considered him a long-shot and his election, just two days into a conclave of 133 cardinals, came as an unexpected but welcome milestone for many, including Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski. 'I think most people were surprised because for years they discounted the possibility of an American being elected as Pope,' Wenski told the Miami Herald in an interview. Wenski said that Leo XIV is technically the second pope from the Americas since his beloved predecessor Pope Francis was born in Argentina. 'We shouldn't present him in a narrow fashion that he's an American Pope... he is perhaps more international than American, because he was spent most of his priesthood as a missionary in Peru.' Born in Chicago in 1955, Leo XiV was ordained in 1982 and moved to Peru three years later, working for a decade in Trujillo before being appointed bishop of Chiclayo, where he served from 2014 to 2023. He received Peruvian citizenship but frequently traveled back to his home town. Leo XIV is a member of the Augustinian religious order, a global group known for its commitment to community outreach and service. Wenski said the Leo XIII, the last pope to be called Leo, was known for his papal teachings advocating for the rights of the working class, in response to the dangers of unchecked capitalism. 'He was the first pope that elaborated on what we now call Catholic social teachings,' Wenski said about Pope Leo XIII. 'Every Pope since Leo XIII has made social encyclicals that have really influenced the church in their outreach towards what we could call justice ministries.' Wenski said that the first Leo, known as Leo the Great, famously saved Rome from being conquered by Attila the Hun. 'Perhaps, like Leo the Great he will fend off the barbarians at our gates today – or like Leo XIII continue to develop teachings on social issues – like worker rights, migration, just wages, the environment, responsibility to the poor,' Wenski wrote in an email. The choice to be called Leo and focus on social justice suggests that the new pope's leadership might continue in the direction of Francis, who was known for his commitment to service and acceptance. Ahead of the conclave, many Catholics in Miami were hoping to see the church follow Francis' legacy. READ MORE: 'Let's build bridges.' Many Miami Catholics hope conclave continues legacy of Francis 'Renewed hope' for the church Jesuit priest Guillermo García-Tuñón, known as Father 'Willie', said he was downright shocked to hear the news. 'My reaction was to be totally stunned,' said García-Tuñón, who is the president of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, 'Just leave it to the Cardinals to always throw curve balls at you. Because you have certain expectations and think of individuals who are front runners, but at the end of the day they always seem to surprise us.' García-Tuñón was in the dining hall with about 900 students when the news of the new pontiff was announced. 'It just so happened that the white smoke shows up during lunch, and then, of course, the bell rings and nobody was moving, including myself.' The students didn't understand the announcement at first, which was in Latin. But, as soon as García-Tuñón realized who it was, he ran to the microphone. 'I say to the boys, 'the guy who was elected took the name, Leo the 14th ... and he's from the United States. He's an American. And the kids started cheering. All 900 of them were cheering like if it was a hockey game.' Xiomara Méndez Hernández, executive director of the Dominican Sisters Conference, experienced the day's excitement live from the Vatican. 'It was truly a remarkable experience to be in the Vatican and receive Pope Leo's blessing in person at the Piazza,' Hernández said in an email to the Herald. She said the election resonates with 'the spirituality' of the Dominican Order, which follows the rules of Saint Augustine. 'Hearing him ask for permission to speak in Spanish brought me immense joy,' she said. 'His call for peace, justice, unity and love has renewed my hope, not only for the Church but for the entire world.' Wenski was wrapping up a mass at St. Martha's Parish when the white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel in Rome, signaling a new pope had been chosen. The special mass was held to offer prayers for the cardinals while they were sequestered in the conclave. 'Everybody started applauding. I said 'your prayers have been very effective,' Wenski said. As Leo XIV spoke his first words to crowds at the Vatican, he urged people to first remember Pope Francis, who died a little over two weeks ago on Easter Monday. Speaking in Italian, he told the world, 'peace be with you,' and offered his vision for a church of dialogue and missionary evangelization. 'We have to seek together to be a missionary church. A church that builds bridges and dialogue,' Leo said. Hope for expanded role for women Ellie Hidalgo, co-director of Discerning Deacons, a group that advocates on behalf of women's roles in the Catholic Church, also was delighted by the selection. 'I feel the overflow of grace … the Cardinals, guided by the Holy Spirit, have chosen the pope we need,' said Hidalgo. 'I just love that he is an American Pope who has spent so much time in Latin America.' Hidalgo said she had met Leo XIV, when he was still Cardinal Prevost, a few months ago in Rome. 'He quoted extensively from Pope Francis' address to deacons in Rome ... He said that St Augustine said that 'to move forward in faith, Be humble. Be humble. Be humble.'' She said that she feels the new pope is well-positioned to continue the work of Francis. The new pontiff was also a part of a group of cardinals that proposed new bishops to the pope, she said. That administrative body included three women, for the first time in history — which also gives her hope as someone who has been advocating for years for the expansion of women's leadership roles in the church. 'We thought it was wonderful ... another good sign of the growth of women's participation on important committees and important decision making tables.' This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
CBS News
22-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
South Florida Catholics remember Pope Francis as a "Pope of firsts"
From Miami to Fort Lauderdale, Catholics across South Florida gathered in solemn prayer and mourning after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski said Mass at Saint Martha's Catholic Church, next to the diocesan office. On the altar, a picture of the late pontiff was surrounded by flowers. Archbishop Wenski met with the pope several times and said he will be remembered as a pope of firsts. "The first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit, the first to put women in prominent positions at the Vatican," said Archbishop Wenski. There are over one billion Catholics worldwide. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami serves a population of nearly one million Catholics, including those in Miami-Dade, Broward, and the Keys. Catholics in South Florida spoke of Francis' impact on the world—his humility, compassion, humanity, empathy and inclusivity. "He's with God and he's at peace," said Avelina Mercado, who attended Mass at Saint Martha's. "He's a merciful pope. He tried to be like Jesus." Dina Asesor, who also attended Mass, said she was blessed to see Francis in person several times. "I feel like I got a blessing from Jesus because he represents the Lord."
Miami Herald
21-04-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
South Florida leaders praise legacy and leadership of ‘the people's pope'
South Florida's religious and political leaders on Monday mourned the passing of Pope Francis but also celebrated his ground-breaking spiritual leadership of the Catholic Church and messages of reform and inclusion. The legacy of a pontiff that would come to be known as 'the people's pope' was defined by a series of firsts, said Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski in a statement. Francis was the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, the first Pope to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress, the first to take the name of Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, and the first Pope to appoint women to high positions in church's governing body. 'Pope Francis saw the Church as a 'field hospital' called to tend to the wounded on the battle fields of life offering her medicine of mercy to all,' said Wenski, who planned to lead a Mass for Francis later on Monday morning. 'The Church, Pope Francis insisted, is not only to teach but to act—to embrace those on the periphery and to bring the light of Christ to the darkest corners of society.' Francis died at the age of 88 on Monday, less than a day after his last public appearance during Easter festivities and issuing a plea for peace to throngs at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease, had only last month been released after 38 spending days in the hospital for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. At the Vatican, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, announced that the Pope died at around 7:35 a.m. local time . 'His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church,' said Ferrell in a statement. 'He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.' Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio to Italian immigrants on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina and became pope in 2013. Francis brought an era of reform to a 2,000-year-old institution. He became pope at a time when the world's trust within the church, and other institutions, was eroding. The 266th pope led with humble demeanor and lived a modest lifestyle — choices that stood in contrast to some previous popes. He also ushered in an era of reform into the Catholic Church, marked by his commitment to helping the poor and marginalized, his strong stances against corruption and advocacy for the environment. 'In this way, he inspired many to give the Church a second look,' Wenski said. 'And perhaps he was more highly regarded by those outside the Church than by many within the Church.' Though Francis never visited South Florida, his landmark visit to Cuba in 2015 was closely watched and celebrated in South Florida. His roots in Latin American also resonated in a region with a large immigrant population. In an interview last month when Francis was hospitalized, the president of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Father Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, or Father 'Willie', recalled Francis' impact on the Catholic church and the world. 'He's been very vocal about the importance of the church being humble and the church being at the service of those who are most in need,' he said. 'The opportunity to rattle the cage a little bit, to kind of wake us up to a more compassionate perspective to those who are in need ... I think one that the church needs, and has always needed.' García-Tuñón recalled a phrase that Francis said early on in his papacy about humility among Catholic leaders, a stance that defined Francis' legacy within the church. 'He said that shepherds need to smell like their sheep,' García-Tuñón said. 'In other words ... the shepherd has to have a very close intimate relationship with the people that he serves, because he has to remember that the role of priest is a role of service. You're not a priest for the sake of for your own sake. You're a priest for the sake of the people that you serve.' Climate change and interfaith dialogue In Miami, a place that's on the front lines of battling climate change and natural disasters, Francis' strong stance on protecting the environment is particularly relevant. Dan Rober, an associate professor of Catholic studies at Sacred Heart University, said Laudato si', Pope Francis' radical statement on care for the environment, will likely be 'the most remembered document, and possibly one of the most remembered aspects of this pontificate centuries from now.' Francis was also known for his openness to engaging in interfaith dialogue between Catholics and other denominations. During his adolescence, Francis grew up in Buenos Aires around many Jewish and Muslim immigrants, which gave him a different perspective on interfaith relations than other popes who were raised in Europe around majority Catholic populations, said Dan Rober, Associate Professor of Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University. He's visited the United Arab Emites and washed the feet of Muslim prisoners on Holy Thursday. His actions reflect that of St. Francis, who was known for going over to the Holy Land during the Crusades and having dialog with Muslims, said Rober. 'That's something that certainly promoted both at the level of formal interfaith dialog, but also at the level of service .. of being of service to all people, including those of other religions.' At his last public appearance at Easter Sunday Mass in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Francis said we should not give into the sadness or fleeting things of the world, but instead 'we must run, filled with joy' in meeting the Lord and rediscovering 'the inestimable grace of being his friends,' according to coverage from the Vatican News. 'Sisters, brothers, in the wonder of the Easter faith, carrying in our hearts every expectation of peace and liberation, we can say: with You, O Lord, everything is new. With you, everything begins again,' Francis said. This is a breaking news story that will be updated. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
CBS News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, South Florida Catholics mourn the death of Pope Francis
Pope Francis, the Catholic Church's first Latin American pontiff, who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor, has died at the age of 88. Pope Francis made it his mission to change the perception of the Catholic Church around the world. "Pope Francis saw the Church as a "field hospital" called to tend to the wounded on the battlefields of life offering her medicine of mercy to all. The Church, Pope Francis insisted, is not only to teach but to act—to embrace those on the periphery and to bring the light of Christ to the darkest corners of society," Miami's Archbishop Thomas Wenski said in a statement. The archbishop said shortly after Pope Francis was elected, his first visit outside of Rome was to the marooned African boat people washed ashore on the small Italian island of Lampedusa. "He never tired of defending the displaced migrant nor embracing the marginalized or excluded," Wenski said. Wenski said Pope Francis understood the many knots that bind us in the world today because of "our 'throw away culture' (la cultura del descarte) and the 'globalization of indifference'." The archbishop said Pope Francis' legacy will be defined by a series of "firsts." He was the first Jesuit Pope, the first Pope from the Americas, the first Pope to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress and the first Pope to appoint women to high positions in the Roman curia. Wenski said Pope Francis defied "institutional norms." "Because scandals had undermined people's trust in society's institutions, whether political, academic, economical or religious, he defied the institutional "norms" of the Papal court: he carried his own valise, refused to be chauffeured in limousines, and eschewed symbols of pomp and circumstance, living not in the Apostolic Palace but in a room at the Vatican's "hotel". In this way, he inspired many to give the Church a second look," Wenski said. The archbishop added that perhaps he was more highly regarded by those outside the church than by many within the church. The Archdiocese of Miami posted on X. Wenski said Pope Francis leaves this world as a "pilgrim of hope". "May choirs of angels welcome you and lead you to the bosom of Abraham; and where Lazarus is poor no longer may you find eternal rest."
