The election of Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025, marks the first time a North American has ascended to the papacy, a development both unexpected and deeply symbolic for the global Catholic community.

The announcement came after the fourth round of voting by the conclave, as white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling to those gathered in St Peter’s Square that a new pope had been chosen.

Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, the protodeacon, delivered the traditional “Habemus Papam” declaration, introducing Pope Leo XIV to the world.

Who is Pope Leo XIV?

At 69, Pope Leo XIV brings a wealth of pastoral and administrative experience to the role.

Ordained as an Augustinian priest, he spent years in missionary work in Peru, eventually becoming a bishop there.

His dual citizenship and deep ties to Latin America resonate with the Church’s growing demographic shift toward the Global South.

In his first address, delivered in both Italian and Spanish, Pope Leo XIV emphasised themes of peace, unity, and inclusivity.

He paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, and called for a Church that listens and walks together—a nod to the synodal path initiated by Francis.

Why is he called Leo XIV?

The choice of the name Leo XIV is noteworthy.

It is a nod to Pope Leo XIII, known for his writings of “Rerum Novarum” — or “Capital and Labour” — which addressed the rights and conditions of workers.

This connection suggests a continued focus on social justice and the dignity of labour, aligning with the Church’s longstanding commitment to the marginalised.

What kind of Pope will he be?

Pope Leo XIV’s election comes at a time of significant challenges for the Church, including internal divisions, calls for reform, and a need to re-engage with the faithful in increasingly secular societies.

His background suggests a pontificate that will seek to bridge divides, uphold tradition while embracing necessary change, and renew the Church’s mission in the modern world.

As the Catholic Church embarks on this new chapter, Christians are being asked to pray for Pope Leo XIV, that he may lead with wisdom, compassion, and unwavering faith, that his papacy would be a beacon of hope and a testament to the enduring presence of the Holy Spirit guiding the Church through the ages.

“Very much of the line of Pope Francis”

Associate Professor Joel Hodge, national head of the School of Theology at the Australian Catholic Church University, joined Hope Breakfast to discuss the historic election of Pope Leo XIV.

“He’s had a very interesting history, really risen through the ranks very quickly,” Professor Hodge said.

“He can bring his knowledge of the Vatican already to that because there are various issues the Church needs to confront, reforms that it needs to make.

“The sexual abuse crisis, of course, is something that’s ongoing and the importance of safeguarding, also investigating crime.

“He was signalling in his first speech that he was very much of the line of Pope Francis… accompanying people, being with people, loving them, seeking to be alongside them.

“We also saw him wear those traditional vestments as well… the red being of blood… being ready to sacrifice oneself.”

Professor Hodge anticipates Pope Leo XIV will face challenges like internal reform and navigating ideological divides within the Church, while maintaining traditions and addressing global issues.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

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About the Author: Joni Boyd is a writer, based in the Hawkesbury Region of NSW. She is passionate about the power of stories shared, to transform lives.

The Catholic Church finds itself at another pivotal moment in history: the election of a new Pope, known as the ‘conclave’.

Associate Professor Joel Hodge, the national head of the School of Theology at the Australian Catholic University explains the process:

What is a conclave?

Pope Francis passed away 21 April, 2025.

When a pope dies, cardinals from around the world gather in the Vatican to elect a replacement in a secretive and deeply spiritual process called the ‘conclave’ which must commence 15 to 20 days after the passing of a pope.

The Catholic Church will elect the 267th pope commencing May 7th and 135 Cardinals from around the world who are under 80 years of age will be eligible to vote.

“They’ll be sequestered (isolated and hidden away), they’ll be put into private quarters in Casa Santa Marta and then they’ll be working and voting in the Sistine Chapel and they’ll be doing that in private, away from other people – no phones, no communications,” said Associate Professor Joel Hodge.

“A deeply spiritual and prayerful time”

“They’ll start on the 7th – they’ll have one vote that day and they’ll start it within the atmosphere of prayer, reflection, discussion,” says Hodge.

“The cardinals will be within that kind of spiritual atmosphere. 

“Some people might have seen the movie ‘Conclave’, all the machinations that happened and drama and certainly there’ll be discussions amongst the cardinals and different viewpoints and so on.

“But it is important to remember that there is a spiritual, prayerful atmosphere at a conclave. 

“All of these men are men of prayer.

“They are going to be seriously trying to discern the Holy Spirit… in terms of selecting a new leader.”

The Process of Voting

Each day the Cardinals vote twice in the morning and twice in the evening using a secret hand-written ballot.

According to Hodge, “From that first day, they’ll have four votes each day. 

“If they can’t get to a 2/3 majority, which is what’s required to elect a new Pope, after three days then the cardinal electors can have a day of prayer and reflection and then start the vote again.

“And then there’s another process. 

“If they can’t vote a successful candidate at 2/3 majority, if they don’t get to it at that point, they can look to narrow the field down to two people.

“But hopefully they will get it in that first three days. 

“Pope Francis was elected after two days, so hopefully a candidate will emerge clearly in that period.”

There’s no limit to how long the process can take, with the longest conclave in history having lasted three years.

The ballots are expected to be held at approximately 8.30pm and 10pm and 3.30am and 5am eastern Australian time.

What Does the Black and White Smoke Mean?

“The smoke will appear after each vote,” Hodge explains.

“So after each vote, each cardinal elector will come to the scrutineers – there’s three of them. 

“They [the 135 cardinals] elect those scrutineers who are cardinals themselves and they collect the votes and then they burn the votes if it’s not successful.

“And the black smoke will go up with those burnt votes which say,“No election yet, not the 2/3 majority.”

“And then we look for the white smoke – that’s when the excitement occurs.

“There is a 2/3 majority and then quickly that cardinal will be asked by the dean of the College of Cardinals, does he accept the position, and what name will he take, and he’ll then get dressed in the papal dress.”

From the balcony, the senior cardinal deacon will announce “Habemus Papam” – “We have a pope” before the new pope proceeds out and imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the world.

Is There a Favourite?

Just four cardinals are from the Oceania region, including Ukranian-born Melbourne-based Cardinal Mykola Bychok.

When Hodge was asked if there are any favourites that are likely to be elected, he replied:

“Any favourite going into a conclave is precarious.”

So, the old Italian saying, “you go into the conclave a Pope and you come out a cardinal,” highlights the unpredictable nature of the papal conclave, where the cardinals may choose a less expected candidate.

Christians Are Asked To Pray

Hodge urges us to, “Pray that the Holy Spirit is working in this process and that the cardinals… be able to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit.”

“Pray for a really good person who can really be alive with the spirit of Jesus and be able to present and manifest the gospel in a really clear way to the world.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

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Christians throughout the world mourn the loss of the humble, kind and progressive pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Francis, the beloved head and the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died aged 88 on Easter Monday.

He served as the pope since 2013.

The Vatican said Pope Francis died of stroke and subsequent irreversible heart failure.

“I hereby certify that His Holiness Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) born in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on December 17, 1936, resident in Vatican City, Vatican citizen, died at 7:35 a.m. on 21/04/2025 in his apartment at the Domus Sanctae Marthae from stroke, coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse,” Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of Vatican City State Professor Andrea Arcangeli said in a declaration statement.

According to ABC News, “Vatican employees placed a red ribbon on the door of the pope’s residence, tying it shut, before putting a wax seal on the ribbon. This symbolises the formal end of Francis’s pontificate,” with the pope’s death triggering nine days of mourning.

Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva paid tribute to the late pope, describing him as “the pope of the poor”.

“We’ve lost the father of us all, the father of all humanity, who insisted time and again that the Church must have room for everyone,” the archbishop said at the start of Easter Monday Mass at the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral.

Early Life

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis was the eldest of five children. His parents – Regina, a homemaker, and Mario, an accountant – were Italian immigrants.

Francis earned a chemical technician’s diploma and worked as a food chemist for Hickethier-Bachmann Laboratory.

Priesthood

As a teenager, the future pope chose the path of priesthood after being inspired by a priest during a visit to a church in Argentina.

Then, at the age of 21, he contracted a life-threatening bout of pneumonia and had part of his lung removed.

The sickness inspired him to hasten the process of becoming a priest, according to the 2014 biography Pope Francis.

He joined the Society of Jesus or Jesuits in 1958. The Jesuits is a male order of the Catholic Church, established in the 16th Century Europe, whose members swear vows of poverty and chastity.

As a Jesuit novice, Francis studied humanities in Chile for a time before returning to Argentina in 1963.

In the mid 1960s, he taught literature and psychology at a college in Santa Fé and, in 1969, was ordained to the priesthood.

From Priest to Cardinal

Francis was appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1992 as an auxiliary bishop of Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires and became the archbishop of the city six years later.

According to the Vatican, he remained a “simple pastor” and lived in an apartment and prepared his own meals.

“My people are poor, and I am one of them,” he said at the time.

In 2001 he was consecrated as a cardinal by Pope John Paul II.

Pope Francis

When Pope Benedict XVI resigned over age and health concerns in 2013, Francis was elected Pope. 

He chose the name Francis in honour of St Francis of Assisi, who was devoted to the poor, and St Francis Xavier.

“Let us always pray for one another,” Francis said in his first speech as Pontiff.

“Let us pray for the whole world that there might be a great sense of brotherhood.”

Humble Life

Humility was the hallmark of Francis’s papacy. On his first Holy Thursday as Pope, Francis washed the feet of 12 convicted criminals, including two women and a Muslim.

He lived in a tiny suite in the Vatican, rather than the penthouse apartment used by previous popes.

And he reportedly never stayed in the palatial papal summer residence at Italy’s Castel Gandolfo.

“The new pope is a very humble man,” said Argentine priest Reverend Eduardo Mangiarotti, in 2013.

Social Justice

To that end, Francis was a staunch crusader for the poor and downtrodden, including refugees.

During the 2016 US election campaign, he targeted then-presidential hopeful Donald Trump over his promise to build a wall on the Mexican border.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” said Pope Francis.

“This is not in the gospel.”

US Vice President JD Vance, a recent convert to Roman Catholicism, was among the last visitors of the Pope’s, whose final appearance was blessing a crowd gathered for an Easter Sunday service in St Peter’s Square.

In a letter to Catholic bishops in the US in February, the Pope described the mass deportations as a “major crisis” that was damaging “the dignity of many men and women”, according to The Guardian.

Legacy and Quotes

His more than a decade-long years of service saw Pope Francis stand up for inclusion, social justice and environmental awareness issues across the globe. 

“The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness,” the Pope said.

“A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.

“Let us care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation.

“We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love.

“We need to include the excluded and preach peace.

Pope Francis’ Final Wishes and Burial

The Vatican released the Testament of the Holy Father Francis, made on 29 June 2022:

“In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

“As I sense that the twilight of my earthly life is approaching, and with firm hope in Eternal Life, I wish to express my final wishes regarding my burial place.

“I have always entrusted my life and priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy. Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest, awaiting the day of resurrection, in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

“I wish that my final earthly journey conclude precisely in this ancient Marian shrine, where I go to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey to faithfully entrust my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and to give thanks for her gentle and maternal care.

“I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side nave between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the aforementioned Papal Basilica, as indicated in the enclosed plan.

“The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, and bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.

“The expenses for the preparation of my burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the appropriate instructions to Msgr. Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Chapter.

“May the Lord grant the deserved reward to those who have wished me well and will continue to pray for me. The suffering that marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples.”

What happens next?

Pope Francis’ death has set off the secret meeting of the conclave, where cardinals elect a new pope in the Sistine Chapel. 

A funeral date has not yet been announced.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

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