Pope Leo - 

"Peace be with all of you."

It is with great joy that we at COHR have been discovering more about our new Pope - Pope Leo XIV. The most common question to me being, "Will we get a new cardborad cut out for the foyer?". The answer is, "Yes, when they make one!"

So I have included some information around the Conclave and Pope Leo that we have been sharing with the students, an article from the Melbourne Catholic magazine and finally a prayer for Pope Leo.

The bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang out across Rome on the evening of 8 May, signalling to the world that the Catholic Church has a new shepherd. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and a longtime missionary in Peru, emerged onto the central balcony of St Peter’s as Pope Leo XIV, the 267th successor of St Peter.

At 6.07pm Rome time (2.07am AEST), white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney, drawing thousands more into St Peter’s Square, where crowds had already gathered for the smoke watch. Just over an hour later, the Church’s protodeacon, French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, stepped onto the balcony and proclaimed, ‘Habemus Papam’.

Leo XIV appeared moments later, dressed in white, and offered his first apostolic greeting: ‘Peace be with all of you.’

In his Urbi et Orbi address, the new pope echoed the peace of the Risen Christ. ‘This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a disarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.’

He paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, whose voice, he said, still resonates with the faithful. ‘We still retain in our ears that weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis blessing Rome!’ he said. ‘Let me follow up on that same blessing: God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail!’

Taking the name Leo XIV, the new pontiff situates himself in a lineage of reformers and bridge-builders. As the first pope from the Augustinian Order, he affirmed, ‘I am a son of St Augustine, an Augustinian, who said, “For you I am a bishop, with you, I am a Christian.” In this sense we can all walk together toward that homeland that God has prepared.’

His remarks were warmly received by Catholics around the world, including here in Australia. (Ref: Melbourne Catholic)

Oh God, who in Your providential design

willed that Your Church be built

upon blessed Peter, 

whom You set over the other Apostles,

look with favor, we pray, 

on Leo XIV our Pope and grant that he, 

whom You have made Peter’s successor,

may be for Your people a visible source 

and foundationof unity in faith and of communion.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever. 

Amen.

St. Peter, pray for us.