As the world stood still on April 26 for the funeral ceremonies of late Pope Francis who died at the age of 88 after a 12-year eventful papacy, the outcome of the next papal conclave at Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City immediately became the cynosure in the following weeks for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
And on Thursday May 8, the second day of the conclave, a thick white smoke that oozed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel signaled the election of a new pope by a two-third majority votes of cardinal electors – a culmination of the spelt-out procedures. It ended days of bated breath of anxiety, erupted cheers from the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, and sparked off jubilations across the globe. After almost an hour of waiting, the identity of the new pontiff was announced. He is a 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first pope ever from the United States and the 267th pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history. The onus of leading the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world will be on him after his formal installation in a mass on May 18, 2025.
He chose the papal name of Leo XIV in line with the long-held tradition of the church. The name chosen by a new pope indicates the vision and philosophical direction of his leadership. Nicole Brown Chau outlined the commonest papal names in history, thus: John – 23 times; Benedict – 16 times; Gregory-16 times; Clement – 14 times; Leo -14 times; Innocent-13 times; Pius 12 times. Before the present Leo XIV, 13 popes had been named Leo. The very first, Leo I, was phenomenal for his erudite intellectual engagements and theological reformation. His published work led to the official doctrine that recognized Jesus Christ as having appeared in human form and retains his divine nature. The penultimate Pope Leo XIII who oversaw the Catholic Church between 1878 and 1903 was a remarkable bridge builder of the 19th century. Through his writing, Rerum Novarum, he made a strong case for workers’ rights at the beginning of industrial revolution. He pioneered the Church’s interventions in social issues and laid the foundation for social justice advocacy for the marginalized peoples of different nations.
On the same day of his emergence, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first address to the world and the church from the balcony, or the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica surrounded by a surging crowd that gathered at St. Peter’s Square. His words carried no ambiguity. They pointed to the direction that he wants to go. He left no one in doubt that he is following the steps of Jesus Christ whom he declared as “the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for God’s flock.” He prefaced the speech this way: “I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world. Peace be with you! It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.” This was reechoed in his first mass held 24-hours after his election where he vowed that the church under him would serve as a balm for the “dark nights” of the world.
More than ever before, our world needs peace urgently. The armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel-Hamas War, appear to defy ceasefire proposals. The trouble spots of Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Sudan, Haiti, and Myanmar have occasioned humanitarian emergencies and forced displacement of populations. The geo-political tensions around Taiwan and South China Sea, the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir, the terrorists foothold in Sahel region, and the increasing democratic backsliding across regions of the world are all orchestrating political instability and social upheavals.
In paying a terse glowing tribute to his predecessor, late Pope Francis, he harped on bridge-building “through dialogue and encounter.” This portrays an indication that the job is cut out for Pope Leo XIV. The grave issues that underbelly humanity such as climate change-related natural disasters, violent extremism, nuclear arms proliferation, food insecurity, soaring number of refugees, economic inequalities, and cyber security threats, need concerted global action. No country or region, irrespective of its powerful, prosperous and/or industrialized status can independently go all-out against these menacingly challenges. There must be interfaces and persuasions even to dare-devil and intransigent actors to secure their buy-in for relative peace and cooperation in warding off the existential threats.
Although President Donald Trump of U.S. had welcomed the new Pope as a “great honour” to America, it is doubtful if they can work harmoniously. The Trump administration’s ‘America First’ policy negates multilateralism and may found a counterweight in Pope Leo XIV who, from the tone of his maiden speech, intends to build bridges. The moral force accompanying Pope Leo XIV’s voice, and his constructive engagements would likely be at odds with Trump’s immigration policy and tariff wars, which are stoking global tensions. The abrupt freezing of development assistance by the U.S. for programmes that support diversity and inclusion is at variance with Pope Leo XIV’s disposition towards charity and “being close to those who are suffering.” Indeed, millions of malnourished children; the refugees and those displaced internally; those turned into forced labour and savagery by terrorists; and those ravaged by extreme poverty, are in dire need of help, succour, and lifting.
The most nostalgic part of Pope Leo XVI’s address is that he dedicated a paragraph to salute the faithful in Peru, where he worked as a missionary and grew to become the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, and thereafter, the Pope. He remembered his roots. And it goes to demonstrate that the church should re-prioritize missions to the hinterlands and rural areas to fill the socio-economic gaps created by poor governance. This is a sure way of illuminating “dark nights” in the peripheries.