(OSV News) — As the world welcomes Pope Leo XIV, bishops are already expressing their gratitude for the choice.
Bishop John E. Keehner of Sioux City, Iowa, released a statement in English and Spanish moments after Chicago-born Cardinal Robert F. Prevost became the first American to be elected as the successor to Peter. He took the papal name Leo XIV.
Bishop Keehner described the new pope as “a holy man who will lead us with strong faith and humility.
“We realize this was a monumental task for the cardinals to select the next Holy Father to lead the Church and we trust that they did so prayerfully with the guidance of the Holy Spirit,” said Bishop Keehner, who asked the faithful of his diocese to pray for the new pope.
‘Great Hope and Joy’
Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia said in a statement that the election of Pope Leo “fills us with great hope and joy.”
The archbishop also reflected on working with then-Cardinal Prevost as a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America during his time as its president.
“I witnessed first-hand a wonderful, gentle, humble, and spiritual man of God who is a true gift to the world,” said Archbishop Pérez. “Pope Leo XIV will be a pastor not just for Catholics, but for every person of good will. He is a man of deep faith and extraordinary intellectual ability who understands the pastoral needs of our richly diverse Church as well as the challenges of our modern society. I know that his papacy will be marked by a desire for genuine Christian encounter with all people and that it will be filled with the compassionate love of Jesus Christ.”
Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia — speaking from Rome in a Facebook video message — pointed to the new pope’s choice of name, saying that Pope Leo XIII “was a man cose to the poor” while “very much interested in modern issues,” and “giving a Catholic answer by developing social teaching.”
“His Depth, Humility, Kindness’
Archbishop Gudziak said that from the new pope’s first moments, “his depth, his humility, his kindness,” and “his desire to share with us Christ’s peace” were evident.
In Washington, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the country’s bishops joined Catholics around the world in offering prayers for Pope Leo XIV.
“In my lifetime, the Church has been blessed with a series of popes each uniquely prepared for his particular moment in history yet sharing a common mission to proclaim the ageless truth of the Gospel,” said the archbishop, who also heads the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. He highlighted Pope Leo’s international experience and his Vatican responsibilities as former head of the Dicastery for Bishops. “We rejoice that a son of this Nation has been chosen by the cardinals, but we recognize that he now belongs to all Catholics and to all people of good will. His words advocating peace, unity, and missionary activity already indicate a path forward.”
Blessings as He Begins His Ministry
Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, calling the election “a sacred and historic moment” for the Catholic Church, urged prayers for Pope Leo, “that he may be blessed with wisdom, strength, and compassion as he begins his papal ministry.
“May the light of Christ guide him as he shepherds the People of God into a future filled with faith, unity, and peace,” said Archbishop Wester.
In a message to OSV News, Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski said the new pope is “well positioned to assume the tasks of leadership,” given his “broad experience” as “a leader of his religious community (Augustinians), a teacher, vocation director (recruiter), missionary, bishop and most recently head of the Congregation of Bishops, who vet those being considered for the episcopacy.”
The multilingual Archbishop Wenski also noted that Pope Leo speaks English, Spanish, Italian “and perhaps some other languages,” a skill set that will serve the new pontiff well.
Choice of the name Leo XIV
Pointing to the pope’s choice of name and the predecessors it evokes, Archbishop Wenski said, “Leo the Great saved Rome from being sacked by Attila the Hun. So perhaps … he (Pope Leo XIV) will fend off the barbarians at our gates today — or like Leo XIII continue to develop teachings on social issues — like worker rights, migration, just wages, the environment, responsibility to the poor, etc.”
Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, admitted in a May 8 statement his “initial reaction was one of joyful astonishment” when he heard that the Chicago-born prelate had been chosen to lead the church.
Bishop Knestout also said the new pope’s initial greeting of peace — “the first greeting of the risen Christ,” Bishop Knestout noted — was significant, and comforting.
‘Peace of Christ on the World’
“The Church is currently celebrating the Jubilee Year of Hope, and in a world full of conflict and anxieties which cause many to despair, the election of a new pope whose first words bestow the peace of Christ on the world is an occasion for renewed hope in the Church established by Christ,” said Bishop Knestout. “Let us fervently pray for our new Holy Father, that the Holy Spirit inspires and guides him in shepherding the flock entrusted to him, and that his pontificate will be one that truly inspires in the world the peace and justice that can only be found in Christ Jesus.”
Similar to Bishop Knestout, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City was surprised by an American being chosen.
“To be honest I never thought I would see the day when we would have an American pope! It is indeed a great joy, but also a great surprise, that the cardinal-electors have chosen an American cardinal to shepherd the universal Church,” he said. “I look forward to supporting Pope Leo as he assumes this burden of leadership. In the meantime, I pledge my prayers for him and his ministry of preserving the unity of the Church in faith and charity.”
‘The World Rejoices’
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a May 8 press release, “Today, the Church in Canada and throughout the world rejoices.”
The conference’s president, Bishop William T. McGrattan of Calgary, Alberta, encouraged Canadian faithful to unite with their local bishop “in welcoming Pope Leo XIV as our new Holy Father, and to remember him daily in their prayers so that he may embark on his Petrine ministry with fidelity, confident that the Lord will help him.”
California’s Catholic bishops released a statement that included a specific prayer for the new pope, asking God to make him “a shepherd after Your own heart,” one “guiding Your Church in unity, upholding the dignity of every person, and bearing joyful witness to the Gospel in a world in need.”
‘Thrilling to See an American’
Michael Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, called it “thrilling to see an American named pope.” “We promise our prayers that the Lord will guide and support the Holy Father throughout his pontificate,” he said in a statement.
“May he be a source of Christ’s love, mercy, and unity for the Church and for the world,” said
Pittsburgh Bishop David A. Zubik of Pope Leo XIV. The bishop planned to celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving for the new pope May 12.
Writing on X ahead of the new pope’s official first appearance, Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minn. said, “Friends, please join me in a prayer of thanksgiving for the cardinal electors, and for our new pope as he prepares to step out on the balcony.”
Also in advance of seeing the pope, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles reposted an archdiocesan announcement on X, simply showing an image of the white smoke pouring from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the words, “Habemus Papam!”
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News.
The post Bishops offer thanks for election of Pope Leo XIV, first American chosen to succeed Peter first appeared on OSV News.
