Christianity

100 days of Pope Leo XIV: Calm, controversy-free papacy takes shape

When Pope Leo XIV surprised tens of thousands of young people at a recent Holy Year celebration with an impromptu popemobile romp around St. Peter's Square, it almost seemed as if some of the informal spontaneity that characterised Pope Francis' 12-year papacy had returned to the Vatican. But the message Leo delivered that night was all his own: In seamless English, Spanish and Italian, Leo told the young people that they were the salt of the Earth, the light of the world. He urged them to spread their hope, faith in Christ and their cries of peace wherever they go. As Robert Prevost marks his 100th day as Pope Leo this weekend, the contours of his pontificate have begun to come into relief, primarily where he shows continuity with Francis and where he signals change. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that after 12 sometimes turbulent years under Francis, a certain calm and reserve have returned to the papacy. Leo seems eager above all to avoid polemics or making the papacy about ...

Hegseth reposts video featuring pastors saying women shouldn't vote

The man who oversees the US' military reposted a video about a Christian nationalist church that included various pastors saying women should no longer be allowed to vote. The extraordinary repost on X from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, made on Thursday night, illustrates his deep and personal connection to a Christian nationalist pastor with extreme views on the role of religion and women. In the post, Hegseth commented on an almost seven-minute-long report by CNN examining Doug Wilson, co-founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, or CREC. The report featured a pastor from Wilson's church advocating the repeal of women's right to vote from the Constitution, and another pastor saying that in his ideal world, people would vote as households. It also featured a female congregant saying that she submits to her husband. All of Christ for All of Life, Hegseth wrote in his post that accompanied the video. Hegseth's post received more than 12,000 likes and 2,000 shares

Pope Leo XIV's hometown okays childhood home buy, eyes village revival

Pope Leo XIV's hometown is poised to buy his childhood home after the south Chicago suburb's board voted unanimously Tuesday to purchase the property, hoping it will breathe new life into a village saddled with financial woes. Since white smoke billowed in May from the Sistine Chapel and Pope Leo XIV was elected Pope Francis' successor, the new pope's childhood home a small, two-storey house in Dolton, Illinois, about 20 miles south of Chicago has drawn visitors from across the country with many treating it as a pilgrimage site. Cardinal Robert Prevost made history by becoming the first pope from the United States a stunning decision that Chicagoans celebrated by flocking to churches and sharing memes. Prevost was born in 1955 in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville and grew up in suburban Dolton, near St Mary of the Assumption, where he attended Mass and elementary school. He later studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago in the Hyde Park ...

Can American pope bring US-style fundraising to fix Vatican finances?

As a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost was often on the lookout for used cars that he could buy cheap and fix up himself for use in parishes around his diocese. With cars that were really broken down, he'd watch YouTube videos to learn how to fix them. That kind of make-do-with-less, fix-it-yourself mentality could serve Pope Leo XIV well as he addresses one of the greatest challenges facing him as pope: The Holy See's chronic, 50 million to 60 million euro (USD 57-68 million) structural deficit, 1 billion euro (USD 1.14 billion) pension fund shortfall and declining donations that together pose something of an existential threat to the central government of the 1.4-billion strong Catholic Church. As a Chicago-born math major, canon lawyer and two-time superior of his global Augustinian religious order, the 69-year-old pope presumably can read a balance sheet and make sense of the Vatican's complicated finances, which have long been mired in scandal. Whether he can change the financial .

Pope Leo XIV declares 'I am Roman!' as he formally becomes bishop of Rome

Pope Leo XIV declared himself a Roman on Sunday as he completed the final ceremonial steps cementing his role as the bishop of Rome. The first American pope formally took possession of the St. John Lateran Basilica, which is Rome's cathedral and seat of the diocese, with an evening Mass attended by Roman priests and faithful. He then took the popemobile for a visit to St. Mary Major, where he prayed before Pope Francis' tomb and an icon of the Virgin Mary beloved to many Roman faithful. In his homily, Leo said he wanted to listen to them in order to learn, understand and decide things together. One of the many titles that Leo assumed when he was elected May 8 was bishop of Rome. Given his responsibilities running the 1.4-billion strong universal Catholic Church, popes delegate the day-to-day governance of running of the diocese of Roman to a vicar. Sunday's ceremonies at the St. John Lateran and a stop at St. Mary Major basilicas follow Leo's visit last week to the St. Paul Outsid

Chicago suburb-area town planning to seize Pope Leo XIV's childhood home

Dolton, a town near Chicago, plans to seize Pope Leo XIV's childhood home via eminent domain and work with the Archdiocese to preserve it as a historic site, officials said in a letter Tuesday

Pope Leo XIV pledges to promote unity, peace through Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV, history's first American pope, vowed on Sunday to work for unity so that the Catholic Church becomes a sign of peace in the world, offering a message of love and communion during an inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square before tens of thousands of people, presidents, patriarchs and princes. Leo officially opened his pontificate by taking his first popemobile tour through the piazza, a rite of passage that has become synonymous with the papacy's global reach and mediatic draw. The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary smiled and waved from the back of the truck, but didn't appear to stop to kiss babies and the crowd. During the Mass, Leo appeared to choke up when the two potent symbols of the papacy were placed on him the pallium woolen stole over his shoulders and the fisherman's ring on his finger as if the weight of responsibility of leading the 1.4-billion strong church had just sunk in. He turned his hand to look at the ring and seal and then clasped his hands in fr

Close aides see Pope Leo XIV as reformer on women's roles but with limits

Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis' pontificate by having women serve on the Vatican board that vets nominations for bishops. But he also has said decisively that women cannot be ordained as priests, and despite having worked for years in Peru where women often lead church communities, seems noncommittal on whether women could ever serve in any ministerial capacity. Nevertheless, the women who have worked closely with Prevost in recent years have praised his leadership style, ability to listen and respect for their opinions. In interviews with The Associated Press, they say they expect that as pope, Leo will continue to promote women in church governance positions, albeit with limits. Maria Lia Zervino was among the three women Francis appointed to the Dicastery for Bishops in 2022 to review possible appointments. It was a job previously held by cardinals and bishops, an old boy's club that has ..

HRW urges new Pope to review 2018 China deal to protect religious freedom

Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch, said the new Pope should push for fresh negotiations with Beijing to protect the religious freedom of Catholics in China

Pope Leo XIV urges journalist release, also backs free speech, press

Pope Leo XIV on Monday called for the release of imprisoned journalists and affirmed the precious gift of free speech and the press in an audience with some of the 6,000 journalists who descended on Rome to cover his election as the first American pontiff. Leo received a standing ovation as he entered the Vatican auditorium for his first meeting with representatives of the general public. The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary, elected in a 24-hour conclave last week, called for journalists to use words for peace, to reject war and to give voice to the voiceless. He expressed solidarity with journalists around the world who have been jailed for trying to seek and report the truth. Drawing applause from the crowd, he asked for their release. The church recognises in these witnesses I am thinking of those who report on war even at the cost of their lives the courage of those who defend dignity, justice and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can ma

In first address, Pope Leo XIV warns AI is greatest threat to humanity

Pope Leo XIV pledged to continue church reforms and highlighted artificial intelligence as a major challenge to human dignity, fairness, and the future of work

'Leo will follow Francis': Amazon Catholics hope new pope protects forest

The bishop sat quietly near the front row, hands folded, listening as Indigenous leaders and church workers spoke about the threats to Peru's northern forests, a part of the Amazon rain forest. It was 2016, a year after Laudato Si, Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment. When he was up to speak, the bishop didn't preach though he was in his city of Chiclayo as host of a regional gathering. Instead, he reflected on things he had seen. It's a very important encyclical, he said. It also represents something new in terms of this explicit expression of the church's concern for all of creation. That bishop, Robert Prevost, is now Pope Leo XIV. He was always very welcoming, very close to the people, Laura Vargas, secretary of the Interreligious Council of Peru, who helped organize the event, recalled in a phone interview with The Associated Press. He had no problem saying yes when we proposed it he was genuinely interested in social pastoral work. Since then, Prevost deepened his

Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Mass after historic election as pope

Pope Leo XIV celebrates his first Mass on Friday after his historic election as the first North American pope, meeting with the cardinals who chose him to lead the Catholic Church and follow in Pope Francis' reform-minded footsteps. Leo, the Chicago-born Augustinian missionary Robert Prevost, surprised the world Thursday when he emerged on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, overcoming the traditional prohibition against a pope from the United States. The 69-year-old wore the traditional red cape which Francis had eschewed on his election in 2013 and trappings of the papacy, suggesting a return to some degree of rule-following after Francis' unorthodox pontificate. But in naming himself Leo, the new pope could also have wanted to signal a strong line of continuity: Brother Leo was the 13th century friar who was a great companion to St Francis of Assisi, the late pope's namesake. Together, we must try to find out how to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges, ...

Who is Leo XIV? first American elected as Pope of 1.4 bn roman catholics

A 69-year-old Leo has been elected as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church, following the death of Pope Francis last month

Pope Leo XIV has criticised Trump, Vance policies in social media posts

Elected as the Catholic Church's first global leader to hail from the United States, Pope Leo XIV is in a new job that will have many crossovers into politics a realm not entirely unknown to the Chicago-born priest, whose social media history includes sharing criticism of Trump administration policies and of comments by Vice President J D Vance. President Donald Trump has wished the new pope well in his role, calling Leo's election "such an honour for our country". But it comes days after Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself dressed as pope amid days of official mourning for Pope Francis. That act raised eyebrows at the Vatican and was denounced by former Italian Premier Romano Prodi as indecent political interference in matters of faith. And last month, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops announced the end of a half-century of partnerships with the federal US government to serve refugees and migrant children, saying the "heartbreaking" decision ...

Pope Leo XIV's name choice shows his commitment to social justice

Pope Leo XIV's choice of name signals a commitment to social justice which is very much in line with the late Pope Francis' global ministry. I think a lot us had a question mark when they elected an American, and then he selected the name Pope Leo XIV, said Natalia Imperatori-Lee, the chair of religious studies at Manhattan University. It really means to me he will continue the work of Leo XXIII. Pope Leo XIII, who was head of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903, laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers' rights and capitalism at the dawn of the industrial age. He criticised both laissez-faire capitalism and state-centric socialism, giving shape to a distinctly Catholic vein of economic teaching. The name is a deep sign of commitment to social issues," said Imperatori-Lee. I think this (new) pope is saying something about social justice, by choosing this name, that it is going to be a ...

New Pope Leo XIV led Augustinian order devoted to poverty, service

Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first US pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, previously led a Catholic religious order. Prevost, 69, who chose the name Pope Leo XIV, was formerly the prior general, or leader, of the Order of St. Augustine, which was formed in the 13th century as a community of mendicant friars dedicated to poverty, service and evangelisation. The requirements and ethos of the order are traced to the fifth century St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the theological and devotional giants of early Christianity. The Order of St. Augustine has a presence in about 50 countries, according to its website. Its ethos includes a contemplative spirituality, communal living and service to others. A core value in their rule is to live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God. A religious order is a community of Catholics which can include priests, nuns, monks and even lay people dedicated to a particular type of mission and ...

US Cardinal Robert Prevost elected Pope Leo XIV, first American pontiff

Ahead of the conclave, some cardinals called for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, while others said they wanted to turn back the clock and embrace old traditions

White smoke from Sistine Chapel chimney signals election of a new pope

White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the great bells of St. Peter's Basilica tolled Thursday after cardinals elected the 267th pope to lead the Catholic Church on the second day of their conclave. The crowd in St. Peter's Square erupted in cheers, priests made the sign of the cross and nuns wept as the crowd shouted Viva il papa! after the white smoke wafted into the late afternoon sky at 6:07 pm. Waving flags from around the world, tens of thousands of people waited to learn who had won. The smoke signal means the winner secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis. The name will be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words Habemus Papam! Latin for We have a pope! from the loggia of the basilica. The cardinal then reads the winner's birth name in Latin and reveals the name he has chosen to be called. The new pope is then expected to make his first public appearance and impar

Black smoke pours from Sistine Chapel, signals no pope chosen in first vote

Black smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church. The smoke billowed out at 9 pm Wednesday, some four hours after 133 cardinals solemnly entered the Sistine Chapel, took their oaths of secrecy and formally opened the centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-member church. With no one securing the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the cardinals will retire for the night to the Vatican residences where they are being sequestered. They return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning.