An American becomes Pope: Leo XIV. The World Church enthusiasts!

An American becomes Pope: Leo XIV. The World Church enthusiasts!

On May 9, 2025, Archbishop Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago was elected as the new Pope. He bears the name Leo XIV and is the first American to head the Roman Catholic World Church. The election took place on May 8, 2025 in the fourth ballot in the Sistine chapel, where a total of 133 cardinals were gathered, a number that was increased by the appointments of new cardinals by Pope Francis.

Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck describes Prevost as someone whose spirituality is shaped by membership in the Order of Augustin. He emphasizes that the concerns of the arms are close to his heart. These views support the vision of Leo XIV to understand the church as a "synodal church on the way". The new Pope thus ties in with the approaches of his predecessor, Pope Francis, whose blessings and message of the dialogue he would like to continue.

A look at the person Prevost

Cardinal Prevost was born on September 14, 1955 in Chicago. His career led him from the membership in the Order of Augustinin, which he began in 1977, through various positions, to his time as a bishop in Chiclayo, Peru, from 2014 to 2023. Prevost is considered diplomatic, pragmatic and has gained international experience in church offices, among other things as president of the pop-up Latin America Commission and as head of the Vatican Authority for Bishops.

In his first public words, Leo XIV emphasized the need to build bridges and to seek the dialogue between the believers. He welcomed the people on St. Peter's Square with the words: "Peace is with all of you", and expressed hope that this greeting will reach all peoples. In addition, he does not want to forget the weak voice of his predecessor Francis and continue his approaches.

reactions to the choice

The choice of Leo XIV was taken up by the bishops and cardinals in Germany with joy and gratitude. Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki described the choice as a moving event and spoke of the great joy within the communities. After the election, the bells in Cologne Cathedral and other Catholic churches of the Archdiocese of Cologne rang for 15 minutes to celebrate the election of the new Pope.

A festive pontifical office is planned in Cologne Cathedral to pray and support its work for the pontificate of Leo XIV. The new Pope will manage the Catholic World Church, which has around 1.4 billion members, and will work for a church tour that promotes more participation of all believers. His visions are expected to open new ways of cooperation and exchange.

like localklick.eu reports, Prevost's approach is also shaped by his experiences in the dicative for the bishops, where he closely with Bishop EM. Dr. Felix Genn worked. Genn said positively about Prevost's ability to bring different opinions together and to gather people on the way together.

The Catholic community sees confidence to the coming years under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV and hopes for a renewal of the church, which focuses on the spiritual needs of its believers.

For more information about this topic, see also: bistum-essen.de and sueddeutsche.de .