Catholic Church Congregational Leadership Team Peru Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIV
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May 14, 2025
Habemus Papam – Pope Leo XIV © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk via Flickr.

With the words, “peace be with you all” on 8 May, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV greeted the people assembled in St Peter’s Square and all those tuning in across the world.

As Pope Leo XIV continued speaking, we resonated with his vision expressed on the day as:

We must look for ways to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges and encourages dialogue, a Church ever open to welcoming, like this Square with its open arms, all those who are in need of our charity, our presence, our readiness to dialogue and our love …. To all of you, brothers and sisters in Rome, in Italy, throughout the world: we want to be a synodal Church, a Church that moves forward, a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close above all to those who are suffering.Pope Leo XIV, Greetings to Rome and to the world, 8.5.2025

Pope Leo XIV comes with wide ranging experience – from Chicago, to Augustinian Religious Communities as their Prior General, as missionary and Bishop in Peru, and then as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome.

Our Sisters in Peru share that the Peruvian people are absolutely delighted with the new Pope, stating, “he is Peruvian! Thanks be to God!”

Pope Leo XIV working with Caritas during the El Niño floods in 2017 in Peru.

Many people and Sisters in Peru have stories to tell of their meetings with Pope Leo XIV. Phrases they share include; he is a very personable man, he relates well with ordinary people, he worked hard for the poor and needy both as priest and Bishop. During COVID time Pope Leo XIV worked with Caritas to set up an oxygen supply for communities in his diocese in Peru, and during the El Niño floods in 2017, he worked with Caritas supporting the people with practical help. He was not afraid of putting on the gumboots and visiting those in need, he has his Peruvian football team, he sings in the band and he gave special attention to immigrants and trafficking of people in the Diocese of Chiclayo. People in Peru have great hope and support for their Pope.

Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 Encyclical Rerum Novarum (translated as ‘to new things’) is recognised as a significant milestone in Catholic Social Teaching and was written at a time when the industrial revolution impacted particularly on the human dignity of workers. At his address to the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV suggested that, “in our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour”.

Incidentally, it was Pope Leo XIII that in 1888 issued the formal Decree of Approbation recognising the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart as a Regular Congregation, with Central Government and their Mother House in Sydney.

In his first Sunday noon address, usually referred to as the Angelus/Regina Caeli message, Pope Leo XIV returned to his call for peace as he appealed to world leaders to work for just and lasting peace so urgently needed in many parts of our world.

Enriched by what we have seen and heard in these last couple of weeks, we give thanks for the life and legacy of Pope Francis, and commit ourselves to praying for Pope Leo XIV as he takes up leadership of the People of God in today’s world.

Congregational Leadership Team
Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart