Pope Leo XIV, the new Head of the Catholic Church and the first ever Pope from the United States, US and North America Continent, and the second from the two America continents, has said that there are many settings or places in the world people considered the Christian Faith to be only for the weak, calling on people to cultivate a better personal relationship with Christ, saying, without Faith, life is meaningless, the new Pope who had been ardent opposition to the policies of the new  US President, Donald Trump, stated this at his first Mass held shortly after he was elected as the new head of the Christian faith to lead more than one billion Catholic faithfuls in the world and as one of the major pressure group leaders in the world,  the new Pope had previously criticized the policies of President Donald Trump just as his predecessor, late Pope Francis had always condemned Trump policies on illegal immigration, with records showing that, the late Pope, Pope Francis promoted and elevated the new Pope, Pope Leo XIV multiple times within a short period to the high level to qualify him becoming the next Pope.

“We cannot build a just society if we discard the weakest – whether the child in the womb, or the elderly in their frailty, for they are both gifts from God”, Pope Leo XIV said.

When some journalists asked about Pope Leo’s criticisms of the president on his X account, White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump is “proud” that the 267th Pope is American. “It’s a great thing for the United States of America and the world.”

President Donald Trump in his personal words about the Pope, said although they are “surprised but very happy”, adding it is a great honour for the US.

The Catholic mainstream media, the Vatican News reported that the “Pope Leo XIV blesses several people, including Sister Nathalie Becquart, Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod, at the Palace of the Holy Office on the same evening he was elected Pope.

Here is the official record confirming that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost accepted the election canonically making him Supreme Pontiff and the name he has chosen.

The document was drawn up by the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, Monsignor Diego Giovanni Ravelli, acting as notary. Written in Latin, the name Leo XIV appears in red.

“We are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Christ the Saviour”, Pope Leo XIV gave this reminder during his first Mass as pontiff with the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel – the exact site where the electors chose him as the 267th Pope on the fourth ballot the evening prior.

In his homily, the newly elected Pope called for cultivating better a personal relationship with Christ, and he insisted that, without faith, life lacks meaning.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV began his first homily with words in English during Mass in the Sistine Chapel with the College of Cardinals.

“Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent.  Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.”

“God has called me by your election to succeed the Prince of the Apostles, and has entrusted this treasure to me so that, with his help, I may be its faithful administrator”.

Pope Leo XIV greeted the city of Rome and the world at his first appearance as the Successor of Peter from the central balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica.

“Peace be with you! Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd, who gave His life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you”.

Former US President, Barack Obama in a congratulatory message and statement of commendation, tweeted and said; “Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith”.

It would be recalled, after much waiting, white smoke was seen pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on Thursday, signaling the College of Cardinals has chosen a successor to Pope Francis.

Riotous applause went up from a crowd of thousands gathered at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City, where they had been keeping eyes on the chimney waiting for the white plume to emerge after each ballot was cast during the papal conclave.

The smoke indicates at least 89 of the 133 cardinals participating in the process have reached a consensus on who should be the next pope. Black smoke — indicating no candidate achieved the two-thirds majority threshold — wafts from the chimney before the white smoke appears”

The Vatican News reported details about the personal profile of the new Pope as stated verbatim below:

“The first Augustinian Pope, Leo XIV is the second Roman Pontiff – after Pope Francis – from the Americas. Unlike Jorge Mario Bergoglio, however, the 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost is from the northern part of the continent, though he spent many years as a missionary in Peru before being elected head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms.

First Augustinian Pope: The new Bishop of Rome was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, to Louis Marius Prevost, of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martínez, of Spanish descent. He has two brothers, Louis Martín and John Joseph.

He spent his childhood and adolescence with his family and studied first at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers and then at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where in 1977 he earned a Degree in Mathematics and also studied Philosophy.

On September 1 of the same year, Prevost entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.) in Saint Louis, in the Province of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Chicago, and made his first profession on September 2, 1978. On August 29, 1981, he made his solemn vows.

The future Pontiff received his theological education at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. At the age of 27, he was sent by his superiors to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum).

In Rome, he was ordained a priest on June 19, 1982, at the Augustinian College of Saint Monica by Archbishop Jean Jadot, then pro-president of the Secretariat for Non-Christians, which later became the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and then the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

Prevost obtained his licentiate in 1984 and the following year, while preparing his doctoral thesis, was sent to the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, Piura, Peru (1985–1986). In 1987, he defended his doctoral thesis on “The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine” and was appointed vocation director and missions director of the Augustinian Province of “Mother of Good Counsel” in Olympia Fields, Illinois (USA).

Mission in Peru: The following year, he joined the mission in Trujillo, also in Peru, as director of the joint formation project for Augustinian candidates from the vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos, and Apurímac.

Over the course of eleven years, he served as prior of the community (1988–1992), formation director (1988–1998), and instructor for professed members (1992–1998), and in the Archdiocese of Trujillo as judicial vicar (1989–1998) and professor of Canon Law, Patristics, and Moral Theology at the Major Seminary “San Carlos y San Marcelo.”

At the same time, he was also entrusted with the pastoral care of Our Lady Mother of the Church, later established as the parish of Saint Rita (1988–1999), in a poor suburb of the city, and was parish administrator of Our Lady of Monserrat from 1992 to 1999.

In 1999, he was elected Provincial Prior of the Augustinian Province of “Mother of Good Counsel” in Chicago, and two and a half years later, the ordinary General Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine, elected him as Prior General, confirming him in 2007 for a second term.

In October 2013, he returned to his Augustinian Province in Chicago, serving as director of formation at the Saint Augustine Convent, first councilor, and provincial vicar—roles he held until Pope Francis appointed him on November 3, 2014, as Apostolic Administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo, elevating him to the episcopal dignity as Titular Bishop of Sufar.

He entered the Diocese on November 7, in the presence of Apostolic Nuncio James Patrick Green, who ordained him Bishop just over a month later, on December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the Cathedral of Saint Mary.

His episcopal motto is “In Illo uno unum”—words pronounced by Saint Augustine in a sermon on Psalm 127 to explain that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.”

Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, from 2015 to 2023
On September 26, 2015, he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo by Pope Francis.

In March 2018, he was elected second vice-president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, where he also served as a member of the Economic Council and president of the Commission for Culture and Education.

In 2019, Pope Francis appointed him a member of the Congregation for the Clergy (July 13, 2019), and in 2020, a member of the Congregation for Bishops (November 21). Meanwhile, on April 15, 2020, he was also appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Callao.

Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops: On January 30, 2023, the Pope called him to Rome as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, promoting him to the rank of Archbishop.

Created Cardinal in 2024: Pope Francis created him Cardinal in the Consistory of September 30 that year and assigned him the Diaconate of Saint Monica. He officially took possession of it on January 28, 2024.

As head of the Dicastery, he participated in the Pope’s most recent Apostolic Journeys and in both the first and second sessions of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on synodality, held in Rome from October 4 to 29, 2023, and from October 2 to 27, 2024, respectively.

Meanwhile, on October 4, 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as a member of the Dicasteries for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), for the Doctrine of the Faith, for the Eastern Churches, for the Clergy, for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, for Culture and Education, for Legislative Texts, and of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State.

Finally, on February 6 of this year, the Argentine Pope promoted him to the Order of Bishops, granting him the title of the Suburbicarian Church of Albano.

Three days later, on February 9, he celebrated the Mass presided over by Pope Francis in Saint Peter’s Square for the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, the second major event of the Holy Year of Hope.

During the most recent hospitalization of his predecessor at the “Gemelli” hospital, Prevost presided over the Rosary for Pope Francis’s health in Saint Peter’s Square on March 3.

We had reported that the Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber,
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, at about 9:45am on Monday announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta, hours after Pope Francis had called for an end to wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo, Yemen and other humanitarian crises in Myanmar, South Sudan, in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes, Lebanon, Syria, and thus, begging political leaders not to yield to fear but use the state resources under their custody to fight and eradicate hunger and promote development among the people, which, the Pope said, are weapons of peace, adding that, there can’t be peace without the freedom of religion, expression, thoughts and respect for one another views, just as the Pope on Sunday at around 11:30am, less than 20 hours to his death, met in person with the Vice President of United States, James David Vance after the Pope had called on President Donald Trump to end his anti-immigrant policy, asking Catholics in America to reject the anti-immigrant narratives canvassed by the US government led by President Donald Trump.