The election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as the 267th Pope started with the comical. Days before his election on Thursday May 8, United States President Donald Trump roused a lot of criticism across the world after he posted an AI-generated image of himself as the Pope. The image which the President posted penultimate Friday features him wearing a traditional bishop’s attire: a white cassock and pointed mitre, and a large cross around his neck.

Coming curiously as Catholics were still mourning the passing of the much-loved Pope Francis, who died on 21 April, and in the thick of preparations for the solemn Conclave to choose a successor, many did not see the joke that Trump was trying to pass on. It was a rude distraction; as amusing as it was offensive to believers of the Christian faith. Particularly, the New York State Catholic Conference openly accused Trump of mocking the faith.

Less than a week later, after the mantle of leadership of the Catholic church fell on Cardinal Prevost, it was tempting to look back at Trump’s ‘silly joke’ and juxtapose it against the pure coincidence of his emergence as indeed, the first pontiff born in the United States. The 69-year-old Pope was born in Chicago but his place of birth is insignificant compared to his global mission, where he leads the flock of over 1.4 billion Catholics.

Pope Leo XIV

He has assumed the name Pope Leo XIV and is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms, especially his concerns for peace and social justice. His first remarks from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica centred on peace and for a church that is engaged with the modern world. Last Friday in the Sistine Chapel, he officiated his first Mass as pope, laying out his direction in his first homily where he spoke about peace and justice and renewed commitment to the Gospel. In the mass attended by the other 132 cardinals who chose him on the second day of the conclave, he pledged to work for a united church and appealed to them to humble themselves in the manner of Christ. These give clear indications of where his priorities lie.

For a man who spent much of his career as a missionary, his election has prompted an outpouring of optimism across the globe as world leaders show eagerness to work with him in finding solutions on global issues. His commitment to be a faithful administrator of the church will not just be in keeping faith with the direction of his predecessor but also an effort to unite the church towards its key purpose.

Originally from Chicago, he has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and has dual Peruvian nationality. He became a cardinal only in 2023. Considered a centrist, he was a strong backer of Francis’ 12-year papacy, especially his devotion to social justice issues; however, he is not seen as open to the LGBTQ+ community the way Francis was.

Late Pope Francis is remembered for key priorities that shaped his papacy: care for the marginalized, environmental responsibility, and reform within the Church. He consistently called on Catholics to return to the heart of the Gospel, which he believed involved serving the poor, protecting the Earth, and renewing the Church’s structures to better reflect compassion and humility. These concerns placed him in strong moral dialogue with the world and within the Church itself.

Pope Francis’s emphasis on caring for the poor and the excluded was central to his mission as he consistently sided with migrants, refugees, and victims of economic injustice. This same concern is shared by the current Pope Leo, whose recent statements have emphasized fairness and the Church’s duty to uplift the forgotten. Pope Leo has spoken about inclusive development, echoing Francis’s belief that true progress must center around human dignity and the people’s welfare, and advocating for a more synodal Church that encourages deeper participation by the laity.

Though their approaches may differ in style, their shared vision for a just, merciful, and outward-looking Church remains clear. Circumstances have also changed, as Pope Leo XIV comes at a period of great strife across the globe, with wars in Europe between Russia and Ukraine; in the Middle East between Israel and some Arab nations and in Asia between India and Pakistan. As the world welcomes the new pontiff, expectations are high that the present Pope will reflect, advance, and possibly expand the legacy of Pope Francis by continuing to prioritize the search for peace, compassion for the marginalized and deeper reform in the church.

This article was first published in Sunday New Telegraph on Sunday, 11th May, 2025.