“Habemus papam!”
Those words echoed to the faithful around the world, including those waiting outside St. Peter’s Basilica as jubilous cheers erupted from the crowd.
“We have a pope!”
In his first words as Pope Francis’ successor, uttered from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Robert Prevost, 69, said, “Peace be with you,” and emphasized a message of peace, dialogue and missionary evangelization. He wore the traditional red cape of the papacy — a cape that Francis had eschewed on his election in 2013. He spoke to the crowd in Italian and Spanish, but not English.
Chicago-born Cardinal Prevost was chosen by the conclave Thursday to lead the Catholic Church, selecting Leo XIV as his papal name.
Who was Leo?
Pope Leo I, also known as St. Leo the Great, was alive during the fifth century (440-461), according to the Catholic.org. This era was marked by great disturbances, both in society and within the Church.
Saint Leo the Great was born into a Roman aristocratic family, while much information about his birthplace are not known, it is believed that he is of Tuscanian ancestry, according to Catholic.org.
St. Leo the Great became a very well-known deacon of the Church by 431, and was widely respected for his religious love, intelligence and persuasive ways — being gifted in reconciling disputes amongst different Christian groups. Catholic. org says this trait was why he was sent out to frequently to settle disputes, both secular and theological.
He also defended Rome against the invasion of Attila the Hun in 452, becoming peacemaker.
St. Leo also helped foster charitable missions in parts of Rome that were dealing with hunger, refugees and poverty.
The last pope to take the name Leo was Leo XIII, an Italian who led the church from 1878 to 1903. That Leo softened the church’s confrontational stance toward modernity, especially science and politics and laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers’ rights and capitalism at the beginning of the industrial revolution.
What’s in a name?
Vatican watchers said Prevost’s decision to name himself Leo was particularly significant given the previous Leo’s legacy of social justice and reform, suggesting continuity with some of Francis’ chief concerns.
“I think this pope is saying something about social justice by choosing this name, that it is going to be a priority. He is continuing a lot of Francis’ ministry,’’ said Natalia Imperatori-Lee, the chair of religious studies at Manhattan University in the Bronx.
But Imperatori-Lee also said his election could send shockwaves through the U.S. church, which has been badly divided between conservatives and progressives, with much of the right-wing opposition to Francis coming from the U.S.
During his 12-year papacy, Francis sought to remake the U.S. hierarchy, and with Prevost’s help starting in 2023, named more pastorally minded bishops to replace culture warriors favored by Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II.
“I think it is going to be exciting to see a different kind of American Catholicism in Rome,’’ Imperatori-Lee said.
The Order of St. Augustine has a presence in about 50 countries, according to its website. Its ethos includes a contemplative spirituality, communal living and service to others. A core value in their rule is to “live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God.”
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