The Catholic Defender: Pope Leo XIV, The First American Pope

VATICAN CITY - The papal conclave has ended with white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new pope.

Cardinal Robert Prevost has been named the bishop of Rome and will take the name Pope Leo the XIV. He was elected during the third round of voting among the College of Cardinals.

Robert Francis Prevost was elected on Thursday to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, making him the first pope from the United States. He chose the name Leo XIV.

Speaking from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope delivered his first public remarks since taking over as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Leo XIV, the first American ever elected pope, said "Peace be with you" in his first words as pope, offering a message of peace and dialogue "without fear."

He recalled he was an Augustinian priest, but that he was above all a Christian above all and a bishop, "So we can all walk together."

He spoke in Italian and then switched to Spanish, recalling his many years spent as a missionary and then archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru. He did not speak in English. 

He urged the world to seek peace and remember those who suffer.

Peace be with you. Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you.

This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a disarming and humble and preserving peace. It comes from God. God, who loves all of us, without any limits or conditions. Let us keep in our ears the weak but always brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome - the Pope who blessed Rome and the world that day on the morning of Easter.

Allow me to continue that same blessing. God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs his light. Humanity needs him like a bridge to reach God and his love. You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace.

Thank you Pope Francis.

Thank you to my cardinal brothers who chose me to be the successor of Peter and to walk together with you as a united Church searching all together for peace and justice, working together as women and men, faithful to Jesus Christ without fear, proclaiming Christ, to be missionaries, faithful to the gospel.

I am a son of Saint Augustine, an Augustinian. He said, "with you I am a Christian, for you a bishop". So may we all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.

To the Church of Rome, a special greeting:

We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone, like this square, open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.

(Speaking in Spanish)

Hello to all and especially to those of my diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, a loyal, faithful people accompanying the bishop and helping the bishop.

(Returning to Italian)

To all you brothers and sisters of Rome, Italy, of all the world, we want to be a synodal church, walking and always seeking peace, charity, closeness, especially to those who are suffering.

Today is the day of the Supplicatio [plea] to Our Lady of Pompeii.

Our blessed mother Mary always wants to walk with us, be close to us, she always wants to help us with her intercession and her love. So let us pray together for this mission, and for all of the Church, and for peace in the world.

We ask for this special grace from Mary, our mother.

Hail Mary, full of grace, our Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

To all the faithful here present, and to all those who receive his blessing through the radio, through television, and other technologies of communication. You can recognise him in the way recognised by the church.

Let us hope that he's preserved for a long time and ensure peace to the church throughout the world.

Now, that we as Catholics have recieved the 267th Pope Founded by Jesus Christ He is one of us and a Bishop for us. Let us pray for him in his pontificate. Pope Leo has given signs that he can take the Catholic Church back to it's foundations. holding fast to Catholic Traditional Teachings.

O 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 foundation of 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.