9 | NOSOTRAS TENEMOS UN NUEVO PAPA!
The sunset rays were basking the Saint Peter Square of Vatican City when the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel emitted white smokes with a seagull of heart-shaped wing-plumes next to it, signaling that the Cardinal electors have successfully chosen a new Pope to succeed Pope Franciscus on May 8, 2025 (Thursday | May 9, 2025 at 12:08 am; Philippines Time).
In Christian tradition, birds, particularly doves, have long been associated with the Holy Spirit — gentle, free, and descending from above. The hundred and thirty-three cardinals invoked the intervention of the Holy Spirit during the papal conclave by solemnly singing "Veni Creator Spiritus" before the election. While a seagull is not traditionally symbolic in sacred imagery, its presence at such a profound moment becomes metaphorically rich. The heart-shaped dark plumes of the bird's wings evoked divine love: the love that the Holy Spirit embodies, the love that binds the community of believers, and the love that should animate the newly elected pope's ministry.
The crowd from diverse nations burst into loud joy, hoisted their respective flags, were raising their hands, and their mouths opened in wide smiles. The sound of Saint Peter's bell thundered inside Vatican.
Fumata bianca! White smoke!
As people transformed into a jovial state, Swiss guards and the band started marching out towards the Square sounding the trumpets and cymbals. The Italian military and its band thereafter followed as well. Priests, nuns, religious groups, photographers, videographers, reporters started to position themselves rightly, fronting the Vatican balcony. People started singing, waving, laughing, and with joy.
How soon people wept in an Easter when we lost Pope Franciscus was also as quickly joyous with the efficient election of the new Pope! We're in a manic-depressive mood swings in the season of Easter upon the death of Pope Francis and the introduction of his successor. Emotionally paradigmatic.
"We have a New Pope!"
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| Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025 following his election as the new pope with a restrained teary eyes. |
Cardinal Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old American--born at Mercy Hospital in Illinois; Peruvian missionary; and an archbishop in Peru was elected Pope on Thursday, taking the name Leo XIV. His mom is a librarian and his dad was a World War II veteran and a school superintendent. He has two siblings. He was an altar boy, a student leader, and an editor in his younger days.
A quiet figure on the global stage, he played a key role in Pope Francis’s reforms. Though U.S.-born, Prevost holds Peruvian citizenship and is known for his humility, deep commitment to social justice, and pastoral sensibility. As former head of the Augustinian order and later prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, he was considered a close ally of Francis, who elevated him to cardinal in 2023. His low public profile contrasts with the significant influence he wielded behind the scenes, making his election both surprising and symbolical.
He is immersed with Augustinian teachings.
Data from Vatican showed that then cardinal Prevost was a former prefect of the influential Dicastery for Bishops, whose views closely align with those of Pope Francis. He spent many years as a missionary in Peru before being elected Prior General of the Augustinian Order for two consecutive terms.He entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) in 1977 and professed his solemn vows in 1981. He's academically focused on the science of Mathematics from Villanova University (1977), a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and both a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. His doctoral dissertation focused on “The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.”
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| Pope Leo XIV. The 267th Pope. |
Prevost's ecclesial career has been marked by significant leadership and pastoral roles. After his priestly ordination in 1982, he joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985, serving as chancellor of the Territorial Prelature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986. From 1987 to 1988, he returned to the United States to serve as vocations director and director of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago.
Cardinal Prevost was ordained by Arch. Jean Jadot, a Belgian JEC chaplain, who later became a Vatican diplomat on June 19, 1982. Leo XIV was consecrated by Archbishop James Patrick Green on December 12, 2014, and became a cardinal-bishop blessed by Pope Francis on September 30, 2023. He succeeded upon the death of Pope Franciscus, 88. In a conclave of cardinals, he was elected Pope on May 8, 2025. In accepting the papacy, he honored Pope Leo XIII by adopting the identity of Pope Leo XIV. He is the 267th Pope and the 20th Pope since Clement XIII in 1758. If perceived from the Episcopal Genealogy of Roman Catholic from the lineage of Castrocoeli in the 13th century toward Rebiba lineage, Leo XIV is the 18th Pope after Leo XIII.
Returning to Peru, he spent the next decade leading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo, teaching canon law at the diocesan seminary, and serving as prefect of studies. He also held several other roles, including parish pastor, diocesan official, director of formation, seminary professor, and judicial vicar.
In 1999, cardinal Prevost returned to Chicago and was elected provincial prior of the “Mother of Good Counsel” Province. In 2020 and 2021, he additionally served as apostolic administrator of Callao, Peru. Two and a half years later, he was elected Prior General of the Augustinians and served two terms, concluding in 2013.
In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, and in 2015 he was consecrated Bishop of Chiclayo. From 2018 to 2023, he also served as vice president and a member of the Permanent Council of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference. During this time, Peru's bishops reportedly played a key role in supporting institutional stability amid successive political crises and the fall of multiple presidents.
In 2020 and 2021, he additionally served as apostolic administrator of Callao, Peru.
In January 2023, Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops—a powerful Vatican office responsible for the selection of bishops. Later that same year, on September 30, 2023, Prevost was created a cardinal.—a position he held until the pope’s death on April 21, 2025.
During his early months as prefect, then cardinal Prevost remained characteristically discreet in the public eye, but he was widely appreciated for his attentive listening and his deep understanding of ecclesial matters.
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| The cardinals and the new Pope in the balconies of Saint Peter Basilica. |
Working with the Bishops
Cardinal Prevost took his oath during the Conclave inside the Sistine Chapel, following Cardinal Luis Tagle. Both held high designations in the Vatican as prefects. He was the former prefect of the influential Dicastery for Bishops while Cardinal Tagle was the Pro-prefect for the Section of Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization. Both are papabili(s). They were besides each other.
During the 12-year pontificate of Pope Franciscus, he appointed 45 Filipino bishops—more than half of the country's 86 active Catholic bishops—according to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). Then Cardinal Prevost (now Pope Leo XIV) was instrumental in the selection of these bishops in the Philippines and in other countries.
New bishops are appointed to ensure the continuity and stability of leadership within the Catholic Church. As bishops retire, pass away, or are reassigned, successors are needed to maintain the pastoral care and governance of dioceses. Each diocese requires a bishop to provide spiritual leadership, oversee the clergy, administer key sacraments such as Confirmation and Holy Orders, and uphold Church teaching and discipline. Bishops also carry the apostolic mission of the Church, serving as successors to the apostles and continuing their work of teaching, sanctifying, and guiding the faithful. Appointing bishops who understand local cultures and needs allows the Church to respond more effectively to the unique pastoral challenges of different communities. Furthermore, bishops play an essential role in Church governance, both nationally and globally, through participation in episcopal conferences and synods. Their appointment ensures that the Church remains united, well-led, and mission-driven in every part of the world.
Pope Francis left assured that the Catholic structures are strengthened and stabilized.
First Public Statement as Pope Leo XIV
In his introduction from the balcony of St. Peter Basilica on May 8, Pope Leo XIV expressed:
(Italian) “Peace be with all of you!
Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God’s flock. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your heart, to reach your families, to all people, wherever they are, to all peoples, to the whole earth. Peace be with you!
This is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally. We still have in our ears that weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis who blessed Rome!
The pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the entire world, that Easter morning.
Allow me to follow up on that same blessing: God cares for us, God loves all of us, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God’s hands. Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us move forward.
We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as the bridge to reach God and His love.
Help us too, then help each other to build bridges — with dialogue, with encounter, uniting all of us to be one people always in peace. Thank you, Pope Francis!
I also want to thank all the fellow cardinals who chose me to be the Successor of Peter and to walk with you, as a united Church always seeking peace, justice — always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.
I am a son of Saint Augustine, [an] Augustinian, who said: ‘With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop.’ In this sense, we can all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.
To the Church of Rome, a special greeting! We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges [and] dialogue, always open to receive [people], like this square, with open arms — everyone, all those who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, and love.
(Switching into Spanish) And if you allow me also, a word, a greeting to all those, and particularly to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, have shared their faith, and have given so much, so much to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ.
(Switching back to Italian) To all of you, brothers and sisters of Rome, of Italy, of the whole world, we want to be a synodal Church, a Church that walks, a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer.
Today is the day of the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii. Our Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, to stay close, to help us with her intercession and her love.
So I would like to pray together with you. Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole Church, for peace in the world, and let us ask for this special grace from Mary, our Mother.
Hail Mary, full of grace. You are blessed amongst all women and blessed be the fruit of your womb. Holy Mary, pray for us sinners and be present at the hour of our death. Amen.”
Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural address sets a clear pastoral and strategic direction for his papacy, grounded in continuity with Pope Francis, shaped by his Augustinian identity, and animated by a missionary and dialogical spirit. By opening with the Easter greeting, "Peace be with you," he immediately invokes the Risen Christ and echoes the humility and global embrace of Pope Francis, whom he explicitly honors. This gesture situates his papacy within a theological and spiritual continuity, underscoring a commitment to peace that is “unarmed and disarming,” a peace rooted in God's unconditional love for all people. His emphasis on bridge-building, dialogue, and encounter reveals a vision of the Church as open and inclusive, much like St. Peter’s Square — arms extended to welcome everyone, especially the marginalized.
Pope Leo XIV positions himself as a quiet but firm spiritual leader, continuing the reformist legacy of his predecessor while offering a vision of the Church that is missionary, humble, and profoundly human. His address marks a papacy that seeks to lead not from above but alongside — hand in hand with the people of God.
In invoking Hail Mary in his speech, reflects a profound acknowledgment of the Virgin Mary as the Mother of the Church, the Theotokos (God-bearer), and the model of faithful discipleship. By turning to Mary, the pope places his pontificate under her maternal care and intercession, recognizing her unique role in salvation history— “Let it be done” — to God’s plan. In doing so, the pope is also aligning himself with Catholic tradition that sees Mary as a protector, intercessor, counselor, and spiritual mother for both individuals and the entire Church. It communicates humility, a recognition that even the Vicar of Christ begins his ministry not in self-reliance but by appealing to the grace and help of heaven.
Augustinian: Pope's Eyes in the Philippines
Pope Leo XIV previously visited the Philippines on January 31, 2004, during the 19th anniversary of the canonical foundation of the Augustinian Community of Santo Niño de Cebu Parish in Barangay Mohon, Talisay City, Cebu, established as a Domus Formata on May 2, 2000. At that time, he was known as Most Rev. Robert F. Prevost, OSA, DD, serving as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine and Bishop of Chiclayo. Wearing a white cassock, he presided over the blessing of the friary—an early sign of his deep pastoral commitment long before his election as Pope Leo XIV.
He has also celebrated Mass at San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila, during the Intermediate General Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine in 2010.
Saint Augustine's teachings address various topics, including free will, original sin, grace, and the nature of God. They have had a lasting impact on theology, ethics, and political thought. The Augustinians are a mendicant order within the Catholic Church, meaning they rely on donations for support. The order follows the Rule of Saint Augustine, which outlines the values and guidelines for living a religious life. They are involved in various ministries, including education, mission work, and parish ministry. They are an international order with communities and friars across the globe.
The Augustinians have a history of missionary work, including being the first missionaries to arrive in the Philippines. They have been involved in founding and running educational institutions, such as Augustinian universities and schools.
In the Philippines, the Augustinian Recollects (OAR) administer 10 educational institutions. These institutions cater to both tertiary and basic education needs. Two of these are universities: University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Bacolod and University of San Jose - Recoletos in Cebu City. The Order also operates schools and colleges, including Colegio de Santo Tomas - Recoletos in San Carlos, University of San Agustin in Iloilo City, and Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod.
Some Augustinians are engaged in social justice initiatives, such as prison ministry and advocacy for the poor. Music is a significant part of the Augustinian ethos, and they have a rich musical tradition. Being the first missionaries to have arrived in the Philippines, the Augustinians have venerated and are the current keeper of the historic Cross of Magellan in Cebu.
The Augustinian Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu, based in Cebu City, is a branch of the Order of St. Augustine in the Philippines engaged in education, parish ministry, missionary work, and religious formation. It collaborates internationally with other Augustinian provinces and is expanding its missionary presence abroad.
References:
The List of Popes. (1911). In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm
Acta Leonis XIII, 283-285 (1879); WYNNE; Great Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII, 34-37 (tr., New York, 1903.)
O'Riordan, M. (1907). Æterni Patris. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01177a.htm
Benigni, U. (1910). Pope Leo XIII. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09169a.htm
