The Conclave Names New Pope
The Conclave has announced the new Pope. As CNN reports, “Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States has been selected as the next pope, the first American pontiff in history. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV. In his first remarks as pope from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he called for peace and paid tribute to the late Pope Francis to a roaring crowd.”
Newsweek reports that the 69-year-old from Chicago, Pope Leo has global experience. “He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and served as bishop in Peru. He most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.” Pope Leo is a naturalized Peruvian citizen.
Newsweek further reports that Pope “Leo’s experience as a bishop in Peru had him work with immigrants. According to The New York Times, he was praised in the country for efforts to support Venezuelan immigrants.” (bold added).
UPDATE (May 9): Newsweek reports that Pope “Leo XIV’s social media activity prior to his election shows criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
On February 13, he posted a link to an article published by America, a Jesuit review, with the headline “Pope Francis’ letter, JD Vance‘s ‘ordo amoris’ and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration.”
On April 14, he reposted a message from X user Rocco Palmo, who wrote: “As Trump & Bukele use Oval to Feds’ illicit deportation of a US resident, once an undoc-ed Salvadorean himself, now-DC Aux +Evelio asks, ‘Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?'”
Pope Leo’s Brother: “I think [Pope Leo XIV] sees the United States heading in the wrong direction in terms of immigration — that this is a total injustice.”pic.twitter.com/BzmjukiBPm
— Rich Raho (@RichRaho) May 9, 2025
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KJ