It’s no news that the Catholic world has appointed a new pope after the death of late Pope Francis. His name is Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost – now known as Pope Leo XIV — is the first pope from the United States.
Pope Leo XIV is a 69-year-old spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and Nigeria.
He was on missionary missions to Nigeria
Pope Leo XIV was in the rural town of Oka Akoko in Ondo State of Nigeria on few occasions. He was in the Nigeria town for missionary journey with his Augustinian brothers in 2016.
“I still consider myself a missionary. My vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is,” Prevost said in an interview with Vatican News shortly after he moved into his leadership role in Rome.
“He’s somebody that, even though he’s from the West, would be very attentive to the needs of a global church,” Allen said. “You’re talking about somebody who spent over half of his ecclesial career abroad as a missionary in Peru.”
The pope worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023. He speaks fluent Spanish and Italian – both of which he displayed during his first address to the public in St. Peter’s Square.
He’s a member of the Augustinian order
Pope Leo is a member of the Augustinian religious order, which is spread across the world. He led the order for more than a decade as its prior general.
The new pontiff used his first remarks to say he is a son of St. Augustine, and he quoted the saint’s famous phrase: “For you, I am a bishop, with you, after all, I am a Christian.” That reflects the idea that all the people in the church hierarchy – from leaders to everyday members – walk together.
His papal name reflects commitment to poor
The last pope to take the name Leo, Pope Leo XIII, was a pope on the side of the poor and who stood up for workers.
Leo XIII, who was pope from 1878 to 1903, had a strong emphasis on workers’ rights and Catholic social doctrine – so the choice of that name for the new pontiff makes a strong statement.
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