by Brett Manero
It is a truly remarkable thing when a new Pope is elected as the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. The papacy is one of the longest-running and most enduring institutions in human history. The fact that it remains intact, and that they Church remains intact, is a miracle. Indeed, it is due to the fact that the Church is both divine in addition to being human. The Holy Spirit is the very soul of the Church, ensuring its survival.
What happened on May 8, 2025, was all the more remarkable. For the first time in the history of the Church, a Pope from North America, in particular, the United States of America, was elected. Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago became Pope Leo XIV. All of the expected favorites turned out not to be the Cardinals’ choice after all. Upon assuming the papacy, the newly-minted Bishop of Rome took a traditional name that has taken some getting-used-to, but which feels right.
In the end, it does not matter where the Pope comes from. He is the Bishop of Rome, the successor to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, the “al habayit” of the King, His Prime Minister, as evidenced in Isaiah 22. But the fact that this new Pope hails from the United States – the most powerful nation in the world – is extraordinary. Truly, the universality of the Church is demonstrated here: the Church goes everywhere and encompasses all of humanity, rich and poor, more powerful and less powerful alike. No one expected for there to be an American Pope for understandable political reasons, but alas, the Lord had a different plan.
On that note, it is worth wondering: just as no one expected to have a Pope from Poland in 1978, no one expected a Pope from the United States in 2025. In 1978, we received Pope John Paul the Great, who altered the course of history for the better. I am not saying that Pope Leo XIV will be as great as John Paul, but I do wonder if this is a case where the Holy Spirit really and truly intervened and made His choice on who was to succeed St. Peter.
Let us pray for our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.