Habemus Papam! We have a new pope. Can there be any phrase more joyful to the Catholic ear? And now all eyes will be on him, watching and waiting to see the direction this new successor to Peter will take. After all, where he leads, the faithful will be called to follow. It is fair to say selection of the first US American pope was unexpected, although the stage was partially set for him to ascend to the position. As Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops at the Vatican, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was well-known to the Roman Curia. He oversaw the selection of bishops and interacted with numerous Cardinals in a way that was not necessarily available to most. There is no doubt this profile contributed to his selection as the 267th pontiff.

Unlike some of his predecessors, Pope Leo XIV is fluent in many languages, and, on the surface of things, will be a champion of many of the late Pope’s priorities. In his opening comments to the assembled in St. Peter’s, he specifically invoked Francis’s language: ‘We must be a synodal church,’ reminding us that we must stay ‘close to those who suffer.’ And we must be champions of peace: ‘a disarmed peace and a disarming peace.’

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But, of course, every Pope is different. While much was made of Pope Francis’s refusal to wear the ornate stole and chasuble when he first appeared on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV appeared bedecked in dramatic reds, similar to previous Popes. He is also understood to be more conservative than Pope Francis but somehow strikes a middle balance so that he is supported, it seems, by both conservative and progressive Cardinals. He will bring renewed energy to the U.S. context where only a few days prior President Trump had tweeted a photo of himself as Pope, and where the landscape seems most divided between right-leaning and left-leaning bishops. 

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It is true the impact of having another Latin American Pope will be enthusiastically received in the Spanish-speaking world. Peruvian President Dina Boluarte noted that the Cardinal, while in Peru, “walked alongside the most needy, and shared the joys of our people. His choice for Peru was not merely formal, but profoundly spiritual and human. He chose to be one of us, to live among us, and to carry in his heart the faith, culture, and dreams of this nation.”

There is perhaps also a pointed irony to the decision to choose the name Leo XIV since the previous Leo, who headed the Church from 1878-1903, is credited with critiquing what could be called an Americanism movement within the church that was driven by a somewhat nationalist, inward-turning impulse. Pope Leo XIV, in choosing to speak in Italian and Spanish for his first address, and knowing Leo XIII’s legacy, may well be distancing himself from an insular Americanism and indicating he wishes to champion a truly global Church.

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With Leo XIV, we are also transitioning from a Franciscan to an Augustinian philosophy and many will be studying the differences. The two spiritualities are remarkably complementary, however, each focusing on love of neighbour and environment, valuing the poor and marginalized, but also resisting closed or compartmentalized interpretations of Catholicism. Leo, like Francis, would see himself as a marginal figure, something the world may well appreciate. Indeed, Pope Leo XIV/Cardinal Prevost once explained why Pope Francis nominated him to his initial role in Rome by saying, “He wanted a missionary; he wanted someone from outside; he wanted someone who could come in with a different perspective.” That was certainly true of Pope Francis, and many suspect it will be true of Leo.

Our new Pope inherits a dynamic agenda created by Francis, but also arrives at a time when world conflicts and political divisions are at their highest. How a Chicago-born, Augustinian, Latin-American will enter these polarized and wounded times is the question everyone will ask. The election of a new pope is always exhilarating, and the roadmap that he develops is critically important to all Catholics — and to people of all faiths, all peoples, everywhere. We’ve seen the white smoke and now we wait for the sacred fire. The challenges are many, but the cause is great. Habemus Papam.