Leon XIV officiates his first mass as pontiff with the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel this Friday, a day after his election after four votes by his 132 fellow cardinals in the conclave convened to choose the successor of Francisco, whose legacy he highlighted in his first words as the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, born in Chicago, has become the 267th pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church, the first American, after spending much of his religious life in Peru, holds Peruvian nationality, and from 2023 led bishops worldwide from Rome, where his predecessor, Pope Francis, brought him.
Cardinal Prevost ousted Cardinal Parolin in the fourth vote of the conclave by gaining the broad support of progressive, moderate, and some conservative cardinals.
The appointment of this man, described as affable, moderate, and reserved, surprised even his brother John, who, upon learning through the television, said, "it was far from what we thought would happen."
Pope Leon XIV's first words to the faithful, from the balcony of St. Peter's, was a call for peace, "an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering," in remembrance of the "brave voice of Pope Francis," and he urged to "build bridges, through dialogue, through encounters to be one people always in peace."
He announced that his Pontificate will work on "being a missionary Church" that "always seeks peace, always seeks charity, always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer."
Parolini was ahead of Prevost in the third vote
Pietro Parolini, Secretary of State of the Vatican, who was the favorite in the conclave, was still ahead of Cardinal Prevost in the third vote (49 to 38) held after noon on Thursday, highlighted by Carlos Fresneda, El Mundo's correspondent from the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in his article How Prevost surpassed Parolin to become Pope Leon XIV
Pakistan invokes peace in congratulating Pope Leon XIV amid conflict with India
Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, sent a congratulatory message to the new Pope Leon XIV on Friday, seizing the opportunity to emphasize his country's commitment to the "shared pursuit of peace and human dignity," amidst the ongoing conflict with neighboring India.
"I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the global Catholic community on the election of Pope Leon XIV. This historic moment marks a new chapter of hope and inspiration for millions of people worldwide. Pakistan values its ties with the Holy See and remains committed to promoting interreligious harmony, mutual respect, and our shared pursuit of peace and human dignity," said Sharif in X, as reported by Efe
Nigeria's president says Leon XIV's "message of faith" already "resonates in the world"
Nigeria's President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, congratulated Leon XIV on his election as the new pope and emphasized that his "message of faith and hope already resonates throughout the world."
In a statement issued early this morning by his spokesperson, Boya Onanuga, Tinubu expressed his "warmest congratulations to His Holiness Leon XIV on his election as Bishop of Rome and new leader of the Roman Catholic Church."
The president of Africa's most populous country (with over 230 million inhabitants) rejoiced over "the historic election of the new pontiff, whose message of faith and hope already resonates worldwide, with the assurance offered by the Scriptures of a more peaceful world," as reported by Efe.
Audiences: 4% increase in TV consumption
Antena 3's special news coverage on the election of the new pope, Leon XIV, became the most-watched broadcast with an average audience of 1.5 million viewers and a 16.1% share, followed by La 1's special from Televisión Española with an average audience of 1.4 million viewers and a 14.5% share.
According to the audience report by Barlovento Comunicación, television channels altered their programming schedules on Thursday to broadcast specials on the white smoke, leading to a 4% increase in TV consumption compared to the previous Thursday, reaching 168 minutes per person per day.
During prime time, TV consumption increased by 15%.
Across all 15 channels, with a total duration of 38 hours, the number of unique viewers recorded was 13.6 million, representing 29% of Spain's population.
Bishop of Santander: "A gift to the world"
The Bishop of Santander, Arturo Ros, expressed his "unwavering loyalty" and "love for the successor of Peter, Pope Leon XIV," upon learning of the election of the American Robert Francis Prevost as the Supreme Pontiff.
"The news caught me while I was with the senior priests at the Bien Aparecida Residence, and we all joyfully received the good news. Therefore, I thank God wholeheartedly for the new Pope. He is a gift for the Church and for the world," he declared, as reported by Europa Press.
Arab countries extend a hand to Pope Leon XIV
Several leaders of Arab countries shared congratulatory messages for the American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost following his election as the new pope of the Catholic Church, offering to work together for a better world.
The President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, wished "success and guidance" to His Holiness in a message on his Facebook page and expressed his "full confidence" that he will "continue the path of establishing peace and love" and "rejecting violence, hatred, and wars," as reported by Efe.
The Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, also sent a congratulatory telegram to Leon XIV after his election as the new leader of the Catholic Church, as reported by the official Bahraini news agency BNA.
Likewise, the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, congratulated the Church and the world on the election of Pope Leon XIV, wishing him "success in his efforts to spread the message of love and peace worldwide, and to promote dialogue among different religions and cultures, and that his era is filled with achievements that benefit all of humanity."
China congratulates Pope Leon and expects constructive dialogue
China has sent congratulations to the newly elected Pope Leon XIV and hopes that the Vatican under the new pontiff will continue dialogue with China "in a constructive spirit," said a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a press conference on Friday, as reported by Reuters
The chosen name for his pontificate: Leon XIV
Prevost will be the successor of San León Magno, who defended Catholic orthodoxy and faced Attila convincing him not to invade Rome. But above all, he will follow in the footsteps of León XIII, the Pope of the encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed social issues and workers' rights and paved the way for the Church's social doctrine, consolidated by the Second Vatican Council and iconicized by the famous phrase of Paul VI, "beware the anger of the poor," also directed at the ecclesiastical hierarchies, highlights Corriere della Sera. Additionally, by choosing the name León and mentioning some of the priorities more focused on social justice of Francis, the new Pope may have also wanted to indicate a strong line of continuity: Friar León was a 13th-century friar who was a great companion of Saint Francis of Assisi, the namesake of the late pope, recalls Ap.
The conclave: Parolin's step back and the support of the traditionalists
The conclave opened with the vote count showing a consistent number of preferences for Parolin, but not enough to reach a solid consensus capable of addressing the divisions outside and within the Church in a compact manner. The first one who did not want that situation was the cardinal himself. That is why, yesterday, there were murmurs of his generous step back in favor of the rising candidate, Prevost. Some even speculated that Parolin's step back was the cause of the significant delay with which the black smoke appeared on the first day. Information difficult to verify due to the secrecy, under penalty of excommunication, imposed on the cardinals, published today by Corriere della Sera about the development of the votes in the conclave to elect the successor of the late Pope Francis. Additionally, Corriere continues, the more traditionalist wing of cardinals viewed Prevost with greater benevolence regarding the hypothesis of an outsider, perhaps among the last ones appointed, in the extreme corners of the earth, by Pope Bergoglio.
Hamas congratulates León XIV and asks him to maintain support for Gaza
The Islamist group Hamas congratulated León XIV on his election as pope and asked him to maintain the support shown by his predecessor, Francis, for the Gaza Strip. "We congratulate León XIV on his election as the leader of the Catholic Church, and we hope that he continues with the approach of the late Pope in supporting the oppressed and rejecting genocide in Gaza," the group said in a statement last night, as reported by Efe. In their message, Hamas wished "success" to the new pontiff in the work of the Church in a world marked by tragedies, especially the "brutal Zionist aggression" against Gaza, where more than 52,000 people have died since the start of the Israeli offensive, according to the Gaza health authorities' count. The group also took the opportunity to recall "the courageous humanitarian stances" of the late Pope Francis, his "constant solidarity with the Palestinian people," and his "rejection of occupation and its repressive policies." Pope Francis was a staunch advocate of world peace and almost daily demanded an end to the Israeli offensive against Gaza, even calling for it to be investigated as a possible genocide. After his death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took three days to express his condolences.
León XIV rescues the traditional red cape that Pope Francis avoided
Cardinal Robert Prevost stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, after the conclave and the appearance of the traditional white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, wearing the traditional red cape that Pope Francis had avoided in his 2013 election, suggesting a return to a certain degree of adherence to the rules after the unorthodox pontificate of Pope Francis, reports Ap. León's first words to the crowd ("Peace be with you") emphasized a message of dialogue and missionary evangelization. He spoke to the crowd in Italian and Spanish, but not in English. Robert Prevost was born in Chicago, has Spanish ancestry on his mother's side, and holds Peruvian nationality after years as a missionary in Peru.
Wave of praise: from Trump to Putin
The election of León XIV and his words generated a wave of congratulations and praise from international leaders, from the US to Colombia, passing through Mexico, Ukraine, Russia, and Spain. "I am looking forward to meeting Pope León XIV. It will be a great moment!" said US President, Donald Trump, who considered it a "great honor" to have the first pope from his country. Months before being elected, Cardinal Prevost shared critical articles on social media about the current US administration, especially regarding its immigration policies. Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, urged the new pontiff to defend the migrants "humiliated" in the United States. Russian Vladimir Putin expressed hope for a "constructive dialogue" with the new pontiff, while his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he has been at war since 2022, hopes for "moral support" from León XIV. Experts suggest that the cardinals opted for continuity with Francis with this election. However, they also expect the American to adopt a more formal approach than his predecessor, who shook the Vatican with his personal and sometimes erratic exercise of power, reports Afp. "We are in good hands," said Michael Angelo Dacalos, a 35-year-old Filipino priest, for whom the choice of the name is a good sign because León XIII was "very, very active when it came to social justice."
"We are going to have a pope who gets his shoes dirty"
The pontiff was acclaimed by tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square after appearing for the first time dressed in white and with the papal stole, which his predecessor refused to wear after his election. In his first "urbi et orbi" address (To the city and the world), he made a "call for peace," thanked the Argentine Jesuit who preceded him, and greeted in Spanish his "beloved diocese of Chiclayo" in Peru, where he was archbishop emeritus. Prevost, naturalized Peruvian in 2015, served as a missionary in the Andean country for years, and those who knew him remember not only his dedication to his parish but also his love for traditional ceviche. "We are going to have a pope who gets his shoes dirty," celebrated Rafael Aguilar, a 55-year-old businessman from Lima, in St. Peter's Square, reports Afp. León XIV takes on a Church facing numerous challenges such as clerical pedophilia, the crisis of vocations, and the role of women. These internal problems are compounded by numerous conflicts in the world, the rise of populist governments, and the worsening climate crisis. The pontiff called for peace to "all peoples" on Thursday and urged to "build bridges" through "dialogue," "without fear, united, giving a hand to God and giving it to each other."
Awaiting the date of his papal "investiture"
Still pending a date to be defined, there will be a kind of papal "investiture" with a mass celebrated before political and religious leaders from around the world. Today, at 11:00 local time (09:00 GMT), Robert Francis Prevost, 69, will preside over the Eucharist in the Sistine Chapel, where hours earlier he was elected by his 132 fellow cardinals as the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, reports Afp.