Statement Following the Election of Pope Leo XIV

Bishop Peter Collins welcomes the election of Pope Leo XIV with joy, affirming his deep faith, global service, and readiness to lead the Church with humility and hope.

On behalf of the Diocesan Family of East Anglia, I wish to express exultant joy and thanksgiving following the Election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Successor of St. Peter and 267th Bishop of Rome. I extend to the Holy Father the assurance of our prayers as he courageously and generously embraces the responsibilities of the Papacy.

I had the privilege of meeting with the then Archbishop Prevost in September 2023 at a week-long conference in Rome, Pope Francis having appointed him a few months earlier as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. There was unanimity among the bishops present at the gathering that Archbishop Prevost was a most humble and remarkably impressive man.

Pope Leo has been gifted with so many talents, all of which have been employed consistently across his lifetime in service to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His family and many of his friends have already offered testimony to the qualities of his character which were revealed from an early age.

Having first graduated in mathematics from the University of Villanova in Pennsylvania, the young Robert Francis Prevost followed the pathway to a priestly vocation within the Order of Saint Augustine. Returning  to his native Chicago, he further graduated in philosophy and theology at the Catholic Theological Union. He would later undertake yet more study and research in Rome, obtaining a licentiate and doctorate in canon law at University of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Pope Leo has Italian, Spanish and French ancestry and thus encapsulates a multi-cultural and multi-lingual inheritance. He has a missionary heart, having spent fourteen years in Peru following his ordination as a priest. He served as a pastor amidst the poorest communities, undertook significant roles in the formation of young members of his Order as well as lecturing in seminary and university. He was then taken into the international arena, being twice elected by his Augustinian brethren to serve as Prior General. In this capacity he governed and visited Augustinian communities across the world. In 2014 Pope Francis returned Fr. Prevost to Peru, appointing him as Bishop of Chiclayo, before finally calling him to Rome in 2023 to assume responsibility for the appointment of bishops across the world. Having received the Red Hat from Pope Francis in late 2023, Cardinal Prevost entered the Conclave on Wednesday 7th May 2025 only to emerge the next day as Pope Leo XIV.

The Universal Church embraces the Successor of St. Peter in the fullness of faith, within the expanse of hope and under the power of charity. Inspired by the workings of the Holy Spirit, the Universal Church is once more blessed with the Charism of its Supreme Pastor. We can be sure that Pope Leo will be a Servant of Truth, a Herald of Hope and a faithful Shepherd of the Flock of Jesus Christ.

Annuntio Vobis Gaudium Magnum: Habemus Papam.

Photograph Credit: © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk 

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