DILI, 09 May 2025 (TATOLI) – The conclave on Thursday afternoon, 08 May, 2025, elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Pope Leo XIV.
Crowds packed into the Vatican to receive the good news about the new Pope, cheering the name of Robert Francis Prevost, the 267th Bishop of Rome, as announced by Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti.
After being elected as the new spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo greeted the waiting crowds with his first words: ‘Peace be with all of you!’
Pope Leo pledged to work for a united Church faithful to Jesus and to the Gospel.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave His life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you,” said Pope Leo.
“This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a disarming and humble and preserving peace. It comes from God. God, who loves all of us, without any limits or conditions. Let us keep in our ears the weak but always brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome – the Pope who blessed Rome and the world that day on the morning of Easter.”
“Allow me to continue that same blessing. God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs His light. Humanity needs Him like a bridge to reach God and His love. You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace,” said Pope Leo.
Pope Leo tanked the Cardinals for choosing him to be the Successor of Peter, pledging to walk together with them as a united Church searching all together for peace and justice, working together as women and men, faithful to Jesus Christ without fear, proclaiming Christ, to be missionaries, faithful to the gospel.
The 69-year-old Chicago native chose Leo as his papal name — the first pope to take the name since Leo XIII.
Pope Leo was born on 14 September 1955 in Chicago (Illinois, United States).
In 1977 he entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.) in the province of Our Lady of Good Counsel, in Saint Louis. On 29 August 1981 he gave his solemn vows. He received priestly ordination on 19 June 1982. He received his licentiate in 1984, and was then sent to work in the mission of Chulucanas, in Piura, Peru (1985-1986).
In October 2013, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, elevating him to the dignity of bishop and assigning him the titular diocese of Sufar.
On 7 November he took canonical possession of the diocese in the presence of the apostolic nuncio James Patrick Green; he was ordained a bishop on 12 December, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the cathedral of his diocese.
Pope Francis appointed him a member of the Congregation for the Clergy in 2019, and member of the Congregation for Bishops in 2020.
On 30 January 2023 Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Prevost as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and presidet of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
TATOLI
