Members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul give thanks for the election of the new pope, whose values are strongly rooted in peace and justice for the poor.
Born in Chicago in 1955, Robert Francis Prevost is the first American pontiff in the church’s history, and also a citizen of Peru, where he was engaged in missionary work for many years.
In his first address as Leo XIV, he reaffirmed his commitment to social justice, welcoming migrants, including marginalized communities, and combating climate change.
Described as a peace-seeking bridge builder, Pope Leo has already appealed to the world’s major powers to put an end to war, echoing the sentiments of the late Pope Francis. His first words to the world as pontiff were: “peace be with all of you.”
He said that peace begins with each one of us – in the way we look at others, listen to others and speak about others. He stressed the need to listen – firstly to the Word of God to see where the Lord is calling us. But also to listen to others, build bridges and listen without judging.
We pray that Pope Leo will lead the Church with wisdom in the face of the many challenges the world is currently facing.