‘Chosen by the Holy Spirit’: Pope Leo XIV radiates new hope

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

VATICAN CITY – In a moment bathed in the golden light of the Sistine Chapel, as Michelangelo’s frescoes gazed down in solemn silence, the Holy Spirit descended upon the College of Cardinals. And the world held its breath.

When the white smoke billowed, it was not merely a sign of ecclesiastical consensus – it was a divine whisper echoed from heaven. In that sacred instant, humanity was given a shepherd born not in the grandeur of Old Europe, but in the heart of the American Midwest. A son of Chicago. A man formed not in palaces but in prayer, service and compassion. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A., has been chosen as the new Supreme Pontiff. And the world now calls him Pope Leo XIV.

He is the first American pope, and a member of the Augustinian Order – an order rooted in humility, learning and missionary zeal. And his papacy already radiates new hope – not only for the Church – but for all peoples across the globe, especially for immigrants, the marginalized, the outcast and the wounded.

A missionary with the smell of the sheep

Before he became Pope Leo XIV, he was known as a tireless servant in the dusty villages of Peru, where he served for decades, embracing indigenous communities, building parishes, empowering lay leadership and administering sacraments under difficult conditions. But his journey also brought him to the Philippines, where he immersed himself in missionary outreach, particularly in Cebu, the cradle of Christianity in Asia.

In Cebu, then Bishop Prevost – already revered among religious circles – was welcomed not as a foreign dignitary but as a fellow brother in mission. He walked among the poor, visited seminaries and gave powerful reflections on pastoral conversion and missionary discipleship, echoing Pope Francis’ call for a Church that goes forth to the peripheries. He fostered vocations among the youth, spoke of the “Filipino gift of faith” and urged solidarity among the Church in Asia and Latin America.

“The Filipino Church has a contagious joy in the Gospel. That joy has something to teach the whole world,” then-Cardinal Prevost once said during a visit to the Philippines.

My personal aspiration for the Church

My personal aspiration is for the Church to become again a sanctuary for all souls – regardless of gender, color, condition or history. Because God sees each heart beyond its label. This personal aspiration deeply aligns with the spirit and teachings of Pope Leo XIV.

Chosen by the Holy Spirit

Why was Pope Prevost chosen? Because this is a kairos moment in history. He was not elected by power blocs, but chosen by the Holy Spirit – breathing through the wounds of the world, through the longing for justice and the aching desire for unity. The Sistine Chapel became the extension of heaven, and from its sacred walls emerged not a monarch, but a pastor. A father. A bridge-builder.

One cannot help but feel that his election fulfills a deep yearning within the global Church: a Pope who sees the beauty of every race, creed and culture. A Pope who listens before he speaks, who builds bridges of understanding, not walls of division. A Pope who does not shy away from the complex questions of modern life but welcomes dialogue as a path to grace.

In his episcopal ministry, Pope Leo XIV has often affirmed: “Dialogue is not a compromise of truth, but the pathway to it.”

Why Pope Leo?

In choosing the name Leo, he aligns himself with the legacy of Pope Leo the Great, the fifth-century pontiff who defended both the dignity of Christ and the unity of the Church. But Pope Leo XIV goes further. He elevates the name into a modern call for liberation, equity and openness – values he has long championed.

For him, Leo stands for:

• Liberazione – liberation of the poor and oppressed
• Equità – equity in global structures
• Ospitalità – hospitality to the stranger, the immigrant, the refugee

Humble roots, global heart

Born in Chicago to a modest working-class family, Pope Leo XIV’s life story is the story of millions – immigrants, dreamers, workers, mothers, fathers, caregivers. He is the grandson of immigrants. The son of a city that has welcomed and nurtured diverse communities. And in him, we see the immigrant’s journey from margins to meaning.

He never forgot his roots. He has spoken of his mother’s prayers, his father’s sacrifice and the joy of his childhood shaped by their parish. He studied in Catholic schools, served as a missionary, became bishop, then prefect of religious orders. But he never lost the smell of the sheep. He speaks five languages. But his first language is compassion.

He often echoes this beautiful truth:

“Where there is mercy, there is God.”
“Diversity is not a threat to unity. It is the soul of communion.”

These are not slogans – these are convictions that have shaped his entire vocation.

The Pope the world needs

At a time when war, hatred, extremism and economic inequality plague our common home, Pope Leo XIV stands as a moral compass and a gentle flame. His papacy is the embrace the world longs for.

The LGBTQ+ faithful, political dissenters, Muslims, Jews, atheists, seekers – all will find in Pope Leo XIV a listening heart. He does not ask: “Do you believe exactly like me?” He asks, “How can I walk with you in your suffering?” This is grace incarnate.

The thread of humanity, long frayed by division, will be mended under his leadership. We will become one global family – not because of doctrine – but because of shared dignity.

Yes, our faith is ecstatic. Our human nature is strengthened. Our souls dance to a divine melody that transcends boundaries and borders. We are alive. The Church is alive.

Viva Papa Leo XIV!

As the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica ring and the faithful cry out with tears of joy – let us believe again. Let us dream again. Let us love again.

Viva il nostro Papa! Viva Papa Leo XIV!

“Costruiamo ponti, non muri.”
(Let us build bridges, not walls.)
“La misericordia è la lingua di Dio.”
(Mercy is the language of God.)
“Siamo tutti figli dello stesso amore eterno.”
(We are all children of the same eternal love.)

Atty. Arnedo S. Valera is the executive director of the Global Migrant Heritage Foundation and managing attorney at Valera & Associates, a US immigration and anti-discrimination law firm for over 32 years. He holds a master’s degree in International Affairs and International Law and Human Rights from Columbia University and was trained at the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws from Ateneo de Manila University.  He is an AB-Philosophy Major at the University  of Santo Tomas ( UST). He is a professor at San Beda Graduate School of Law (LLM Program), teaching International Security and Alliances.

Rev. Valera is also an ordained evangelical minister, non-denominational.