Pope Leo XIV: A New Chapter of Hope and Courage for the Church

By Fr. Mathibela Sebothoma

Photo: Deadline

In a moment charged with quiet reverence and global anticipation, the white smoke rose over St. Peter’s Square—Habemus Papam. The conclave of cardinals has elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A., as the 267th successor of Saint Peter. He has chosen the name Leo XIV, signaling both continuity with the Church’s past and a renewed commitment to mission in our complex and fractured world.

Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, Pope Leo XIV is a son of the Americas—North and South. His life has been marked by a deep missionary spirit, intellectual depth, and a pastoral heart. Raised in a devout Catholic family of French-Canadian heritage, he entered the Order of St. Augustine in 1977, professed his first vows the following year, and was ordained a priest in 1982.

Educated at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and later awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Angelicum in Rome, Leo XIV's ministry has been far more than academic. It is rooted in presence, in accompaniment. For many years, he served in Peru as a pastor, a seminary rector, and eventually as bishop. In 2015, Pope Francis appointed him as Bishop of Chiclayo, and by 2023 he was named Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops—a role central to shaping the global face of episcopal leadership.

Now, as Supreme Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV assumes the chair of Peter with the rich pastoral experience of the Global South and the theological clarity born of both lived mission and academic reflection. His papal name—Leo—echoes through the centuries and brings with it profound significance. It is a name steeped in history and legacy, most notably recalling three towering figures in the Church’s tradition.

Leo the Great (440–461), a Doctor of the Church, defended the faith at the Council of Chalcedon and faced down Attila the Hun with spiritual authority and moral courage. Like Leo I, the new pope seems prepared to defend the unity and orthodoxy of the Church—not as a rigid ideologue, but as a shepherd willing to stand before the wolves.

Leo XIII (1878–1903), author of Rerum Novarum, opened the Church to the social questions of the modern age. He placed the Church on the side of workers, the poor, and the vulnerable—where Christ Himself stands. In invoking Leo XIII’s name, Leo XIV signals his desire to continue Pope Francis's legacy: a Church that listens, that engages the world not with fear but with faith and justice.

And Leo IX (1049–1054), a reformer Pope, known for confronting corruption and defending the Church’s unity during a time of looming schism, also provides a fitting mirror. The election of Leo XIV suggests a pontificate that will not shy away from institutional reform or ecumenical dialogue. If the spirit of Leo IX lives on, we can expect a pope who will not allow the Church to grow complacent or turn inward.

It has been over 120 years since the last Pope Leo walked the corridors of the Apostolic Palace. By reclaiming this ancient name, Pope Leo XIV does not merely look back—he reaches into the future. Leo, Latin for lion, is more than a name. It is an image of strength, of vigilance, of fearless love. It speaks to the role of the Holy Father: to protect the flock, to lead with courage, to preach truth with clarity, and to hold the Church together as a visible sign of hope.

His election may also be seen as a quiet affirmation of Pope Francis’s transformative vision: a Church of synodality, mercy, and mission. Pope Leo XIV, formed under Francis’s guidance, may now be the one to deepen and root that vision—giving it theological stability and institutional courage.

As a priest writing from the southern tip of Africa, I rejoice in this moment. We need a Pope who knows the faces of the poor and the wounds of the earth. We need a leader who understands that holiness and justice are not opposites. We need a bishop of Rome who can speak across cultures and continents. In Leo XIV, the Church may have found such a shepherd.

He comes not with easy answers, but with the boldness of faith and the humility of a missionary. The Church walks into the future not alone, but with the Lion of Peter leading her once more.

Fr. Mathibela Sebothoma
Catholic Priest, Theologian, and Spiritual Commentator – South Africa