WASHINGTON — Upon the news that the Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, has been elected as the 267th pope, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops offered the following statement on May 8:
“In communion with Catholics around the world, the bishops of the United States offer prayers of thanksgiving for the election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
“In my lifetime, the Church has been blessed with a series of popes each uniquely prepared for his particular moment in history yet sharing a common mission to proclaim the ageless truth of the Gospel.
“I rejoice in the international experience of the new Bishop of Rome who has been a student and superior in Rome, a bishop in Peru, and charged with the Dicastery for Bishops.
“Certainly, we rejoice that a son of this nation has been chosen by the cardinals, but we recognize that he now belongs to all Catholics and to all people of good will.
“His words advocating peace, unity, and missionary activity already indicate a path forward. Trusting in the Holy Spirit, we also pray that the Holy Father, as the successor of St. Peter, will enjoy serenity in his ministry and be a watchful and wise shepherd who will confirm us in our faith and fill the world with the hope inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
