The Catholic Church has had a lot of media interest over the past few months, firstly with the illness and death of Pope Francis followed by a period of mourning, and then by the election of his successor. On Thursday 8th, I had just finished the Confirmation class when I received a phone call telling me it was white smoke, meaning a Pope had been elected, and to turn on the TV. The world was eagerly waiting to see who the new Pope would be, and then the Cardinal Deacon announced the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who had taken the name of Leo XIV. He is 69 years old and the first American pope. There was immense joy and hope for the future as Pope Leo appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s for the first time. The world likes to tell us the Church is irrelevant and harks back to a bygone age. But last week, every major news outlet was focused on the Sistine Chapel chimney, and programmes the world over were interrupted to hear the announcement of the new Pope.

JESUS Christ founded the Catholic Church, and the Pope is His vicar and the visible head of the Church on earth. As Catholics, we believe that Christ Himself established the Papacy when He said, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church” (Matthew 16:18). As the Successor of St Peter, it is the duty of the Pope to confirm the brethren in the faith (Luke 22:32), guard the Deposit of Faith (what has been revealed by God), and guide the Church in unity and truth. There is an ancient Latin saying of St Ambrose: “Ubi Petrus, ibi ecclesia”, which means, “Where Peter is, there is the Church”. This means wherever the successor of St Peter is – the Pope – there is the true Church of JESUS Christ. Pope Leo XIV is the 267th Pope.

One of the most visible signs of the Papacy is the white cassock worn by the Pope. This dates back to Pope St Pius V in 1566. He was a Dominican friar, and after being elected Pope, he kept his white Dominican habit, and this has been adopted by popes ever

since. White symbolises purity of life, the light of Christ and the Resurrection – a sign that the Pope is a visible image of Christ among us.

This Sunday (18th May) Pope Leo will celebrate his Solemn Inauguration Mass in St Peter’s Square. During the Liturgy, he will receive the pallium, a white woollen band with six black crosses, which is worn over the shoulders. It is woven from lambs wool and blessed by the Pope on the feast of Agnes. It recalls Christ the Good Shepherd, and the Pope’s pastoral care of all Catholics throughout the world.

Every pope, from St Peter to Leo XIV has the immense burden of shepherding the Church through the storms of history. But he doesn’t bear the burden alone. The faithful have always stood beside Peter and his successors offering prayers and sacrifices for his mission. In this way we unite ourselves with Christ Who said, “I have prayed for you Peter, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:32). So let us, like Our Lord Himself, be a spiritual support to Pope Leo, helping to strengthen him in his mission through our prayers, Masses and sacrifices.

Oremus pro Pontifice nostro Leone. Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum ejus.

Let us pray for Leo our Pope. May the Lord preserve him, give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. (Psalm 40:3).

Fr Paul Gillham, IC