Leo XIV celebrates first mass this Friday

Paulo Rangel, Minister of Foreign Affairs, believes that Pope Leo XIV should exercise power as head of the Church in a diplomatic context, at a time of several conflicts in the world.

In the Explanatory section of Rádio Observador, the Portuguese minister recalls that yesterday the Pope addressed the crowd in St. Peter's Square with “peace be with you all”. “Peace was the first word he uttered. I have no doubt that the great priority of this papacy will in fact be peace in the world.”

The fact that the new Pope was born in the United States, which “is clearly in a different phase than the previous [administration]”, and that he spent several years in Latin America is also a point worth highlighting, says Rangel. “In fact, there are coincidences with the election of John Paul II, who was chosen at a critical moment in international relations during the Cold War, when a Polish Pope was chosen”, he notes.

“The choice of someone who knows a power well, who plays a crucial role at this time, is not as indifferent as one might think”, considers Paulo Rangel, declaring that it is something relevant from a geopolitical point of view.

The fact that the new Pope spent so many years in Latin America is, for Paulo Rangel, an example of “great continuity with Pope Francis and with the Church, which is marked by the fight against poverty”.

Paulo Rangel also notes that the Pope’s initial training is linked to the area of ​​mathematics. “One of the major problems facing the Church today is the digital transition and artificial intelligence. How can the dignity of the person be preserved? No one has yet highlighted that this Pope’s initial training was in mathematics. We know that all digitalization and digital transition start from mathematics. It has a code for reading, a key for interpreting the post-modern world,” argues the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President of the Philippines, sends a message of congratulations to the new Pope Leo XIV. In the Philippines, 80% of the population is Catholic, making it the Asian country with the largest number of believers.

In the message, which is quoted by the BBC and the Guardian , Ferdinand Marcos Jr hopes that Pope Leo XIV “will continue to bring the Church closer to the poorest and most unfortunate”.

“On behalf of the Philippines, I congratulate Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States on his election as the successor to Pope Francis and leader of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church,” the Philippine head of state said.

“The Filipino people also pray for the new Pope to have strength and good health as he leads the faithful with grace, wisdom and compassion,” Marcos Jr. said.

The Japanese government today congratulated Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost on his election as Pope and said it hoped to continue strengthening relations with the Vatican under Leo XIV.

The Japanese government “heartily congratulates Leo XIV on his election as the new Pope” and hopes that the “good relationship” between Tokyo and the Vatican “will continue to develop,” government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference.

The authorities of the Asian country are still studying who will attend, in official representation, the ceremony to mark the beginning of the pontificate of Leo XIV, the official added, after Tokyo sent Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to Francis' funeral at the Vatican.

The Union of Portuguese Misericórdias today welcomed the election of Pope Leo XIV and believes that the Catholic Church will continue to be a beacon of hope and charity under his leadership.

In a statement, the Union of Misericórdias reaffirms its commitment to working in favor of Christian values, promoting human dignity and social justice.

“May God bless His Holiness and illuminate his path, strengthening him in his mission to guide the people of God,” says the Union of Misericórdias.

American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was elected Pope yesterday, after two days of conclave, and took the name Leo XIV.

Born in Chicago, United States, he has Spanish ancestry and Peruvian nationality, and belongs to the Order of Saint Augustine.

Leo XIV succeeds Pope Francis, who died on April 21, aged 88.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV will celebrate his first mass as pontiff this Friday. The ceremony will take place at 11 am (local time, 10 am in Lisbon) in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.

Good morning,

Welcome to the Observador liveblog where we follow the election of the next Pope.

Here you can reread all the events of this Thursday, the second day of the conclave, in which it was announced that Leo XIV will be Francis' successor as the next leader of the Catholic Church .

See you soon.

Conclave. After black smoke on the first day, cardinals resume voting to elect the next Pope