Thomas Griffin 5/8/25
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Let Us Begin: New Book on the Life and Power of St. Francis
Cardinal Robert Prevost is our new holy father. He is Pope Leo XIV.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois and later attended Villanova University. He joined the Augustinians and later became a provincial. Prevost spent fourteen years in Peru, providing service to the local church community. In 2023 he was asked to lead an office in the Vatican devoted to the selection of new bishops around the world.
After being elected to serve as the leader for the Dicastery of Bishops, he said “I still consider myself a missionary. My vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is.”
These words seem to help summarize his vision for what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ today: we must make him the center of our lives and speak to others about how Christ has changed us. Wherever we are, we are called to live out our relationship with God in a way that is inspiring and authentic.
As he came in view of the world, onto the balcony overlooking the massive crowds in St. Peter’s Square, Leo was clearly emotional. He was looking at the crowd with a smile on his face, slightly tearing up in the face of the task before him.
His first words as pope were: “Peace be with you all.”
Leo continued, “This is the first greeting of the resurrected Christ, the good shepherd who has given up his life for God, and I should also like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts and our families.”
The first words of the pope, along with the name he chooses, are often signals to what he desires his pontificate to be about. Jesus will be the center of his papacy. Particularly, the desire for Christ to bring become more present in the lives of others. The night of that first Easter Sunday, those apostles were petrified in that upper room. They were scared for their lives and they were embarrassed for deserting Jesus.
And yet, Christ appears and brings peace. A peace that this world cannot offer. That is the state of being that comes from having a relationship with Jesus as a real living person who can conquer any pain – even death.
Pope Leo XIV continued by referencing Pope Francis: “Let us keep in our ears the weak voice of Pope Francis that blesses Rome. The Pope who blessed Rome, gave his blessing to the entire world that morning of Easter. Allow me to follow up on that blessing. God loves us. God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail.”
Francis, who died the day after Easter, wished to convey his presence to the world on the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Easter hope communicates to the world, especially to those who are struggling, that you are not alone and that evil never has the last word.
Leo also showed gratitude and humility towards the cardinals. “I should also like to thank all my cardinal brethren who have chosen me to be the successor of Peter and to walk with you as a united church. Always seeking peace and justice. Seeking to work with men and women who are faithful to Jesus Christ without fear to proclaim the gospel, to be missionaries.”
Again peace is referenced by the pope in his first remarks. He clearly desires for every Catholic to know that they have a role in creating a holier and more just world. “We have to seek together,” he continued, “to be a missionary church. A church that builds bridges and dialogue.” Pope Leo also called for a“synodal” church, “one which goes forward and which always seeks peace and to be close to those who suffer.”
Here, we have his third reference to the need for peace in our hurting world. It seems that the recipe for a suffering humanity, to those who desire more from life and from their own heart, is for all Catholics in the Church (as the presence of Jesus) to enter into more consistent and meaningful conversations with our families and friends about the importance and need for God.
Only this can bring true peace.
Finally, a reference to the words of the pope from 2024 can aid us in becoming more familiar with his personality, faith and vision for the Catholic Church. He noted that “the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.”
Let us pray for our new pope. The first American holy father. May he inspire us to live our faith more emphatically and become most concerned with seeing Jesus stand in our midst so that he can grant us, and the entire world, his true peace.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and three children. He has a masters degree in theology and is a masters candidate in philosophy. He is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine. He is the author of Let Us Begin: Saint Francis’s Way of Becoming Like Christ and Renewing the World.
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