3rd Sunday of Easter
Mass of Thanksgiving for the Election of Pope Leo XIV
Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
May 8, 2025
Earlier today, the world learned of the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first Pontiff born in the United States. The pundits were not betting on someone from the United States. Evidently, the Holy Spirit was.
It was an inspired choice. Our new Holy Father was born in Chicago and educated at Villanova. He knows and understands the culture of the United States as well as the challenges and opportunities of the Church in our country. But the new Holy Father has a much wider view of the world and has the heart of a missionary. He joined the Augustinian Order, a global missionary order, and eventually became its Superior General. In that role he travelled far and wide and in the process came to know the situation of the Church in many parts of the world. He was also a beloved missionary bishop, serving as the Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru before being called to the Vatican. Just recently Pope Francis appointed him head of the “dicastery” for Bishops, and in that role he came to know bishops from all over the United States.
We’ll learn much more about our new Holy Father in the time ahead. For now, I would like to offer three brief points for reflection:
First, the reading from the Acts of the Apostles focuses on the missionary activity of Philip, one of the original deacons. We see Philip instructing and baptizing a man who had been searching for the truth his whole life long. We see many others who were attracted to Philip’s proclamation of the Gospel, accompanied as it was by signs and wonders. Many came to listen, to repent, and to believe. Philip was a great missionary.
Pope Leo, as noted earlier, is a great missionary. We can sure expect him to urge the Church throughout the world to spread the Gospel far and wide, to evangelize, to preach and teach so as to touch the heart and open the mind. Pope Leo will encourage all the signs of growth in the Church of the United States but he will also insist on bringing the Gospel to what Pope Francis called “the peripheries”.
Second, from all I know of him, Pope Leo is a very quiet, reflective, prayerful person. His life is centered on the Word of God and on the Eucharist. I might even say that this afternoon’s Gospel speaks to his life and example. In the various media interviews I did this afternoon, I mentioned that, in my experience, our new Pope is a good listener. That is because he first listens to the Lord in prayer, for as Jesus says, “Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him, comes to me.” As a man of deep personal prayer, Pope Leo listens to the voice of the Lord. He also centers his life and ministry on the Eucharist. Again, we hear Jesus saying: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” Before the election, many said that were looking for a pope who loves the Lord. I think the Holy Spirit has answered those prayers.
Finally, in this moment of rejoicing, let us not forget to pray for Pope Leo. The Petrine ministry is weighty, the responsibility is enormous, the challenges are many . . . and whoever serves as Holy Father surrenders his life and his freedom for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Pope Leo ended his first appearance by praying the Hail Mary. In this month of May, let us try to pray a Rosary for our new Pope every day, asking that through Mary’s intercession, his ministry will bear the good and abundant fruit of the Gospel, that he will enjoy good health and length of days, and that we will be his good co-workers in spreading the Gospel and in serving those who are in need.
May God bless us and keep us always in his love!