Pope Leo XIV Gives His First Blessing

By Currents News

Melissa Butz Corsi is with Currents News in St. Peter’s Square, and tells us more about Pope Leo XIV’s first Urbi et Orbi blessing.

Christine Persichette: Melissa, what can we make of his first message to the world?

Melissa Butz-Corsi: The very first thing that he said when he came out to address the crowd was peace be with you, your families and the world. What a beautiful message, and he said that throughout his whole address. In fact, he also reminded everyone that God loves you all, he said, just very inclusive.

He remembered Francis‘s legacy, and also spoke about how he would really like a Church that is united, one that builds bridges, and one that engages in dialogue. Before he said the Urbi et Orbi blessing, he said to pray together a Hail Mary, and then he prayed that in Italian as the bishop of Rome before he said the blessing.

CP: The man the conclave chose, Cardinal Robert Prevost, picked the name Leo as his papal name. Tell us about the significance of that.

MBC: The name that pope will choose is very significant and it basically defines his whole papacy. The fact that he chose this name means that he also was really honoring Pope Leo XIII – he also mentioned that in his address.

And why did he do that? Pope Leo XIII was a pope who fought for social justice and social issues. He became known as the pope for workers because he fought for a fair wage for everyone.

He also was very advanced in modern and many social doctrines at the time, and he also was one that really fought to revive the theology of St. Augustine. We know that Cardinal Prevost was also the prior of the Augustinian order as an Augustinian.

CP: Also, he is dressed a bit fancier than Pope Francis was when he first stepped out. Why is that?

MBC: I think we all kind of got used to the simple garb that Pope Francis donned for 12 years. There’s nothing wrong with more traditional, fancy clothes that he came out with.

There’s a lot of significance in each different piece of clothing in each different item that they put on their body. For example, Pope Benedict XVI – we often saw him in those red shoes. Those are just a symbol of so many things. One of the things is it’s a symbol that they are under the submission of Jesus.

Secondly, it’s a reminder of the blood that Jesus shed on the cross and the blood that was on his feet for all of us. It’s also a reminder of the Holy Spirit, and it’s the color of red for martyrdom. It also is a sign of respect and dignity for the role of pope as a successor of St. Peter.

CP: Currents News reporter Michelle Powers mentioned St. John Lateran. Why does the pope have to go there?

MBC: Remember, the pope is not only the head of the Catholic Church, he is also the bishop of Rome. He has to go to the Cathedral of Rome. He’ll say one of his first masses, normally within a week. He also goes there because St. John Lateran is known as the mother of all churches of the world.

It was the very first Christian church that was built after the Edict of Constantine in 1313 A.D. It’s a very old church – 1,700 years old. Because of that, popes used to actually live there, they lived there for 1,000 years – only living at Saint Peter‘s Basilica for about 600 years.

At St. Peter’s Square, Diocese of Brooklyn Priests Celebrate Pope Leo XIV’s Election

By Katie Vasquez

Currents News got a bird’s-eye view of St. Peter’s Square on the day Pope Leo XIV was elected with an invitation up to the dicastery building to watch the announcement with clergy from the Diocese of Brooklyn.

We waited eagerly as they shared in their excitement to see the new leader of the universal Church.

Monsignor Cuong Pham and Father Willy Kingsley Ndi watched from the top of the building, ready to meet the new Holy Father.

They answered calls from family members and friends who were just as excited by the news.

“We feel a sense of excitement, and we feel a sense that God is still with us. And we are very proud of our Catholic Faith,” Monsignor Pham said.

“I was really excited because we have a universal pastor. That’s what the pope is. He’s the universal pastor, the one who leads us, associates of Peter,” Father Kingsley said.

For Father Kingsley, this has been especially momentous because it’s his first experience at a conclave.

“It’s so reassuring to know we have someone who can guide us in that mission, especially, as a priest speaking about myself, but also as a Christian,” he said. “I think it’s very important.”

Monsignor Pham has watched a few conclaves and installations from this position, but it’s an overwhelming experience each time.

“The fact that they do come together and they elect a pope on the second day of the conclave tells me that there was great unity among them, and this is great news for the Church” he said.

These past few weeks without a leader of the universal Church have been hard, and these two are happy to meet the new pontiff.

“Christ is our true shepherd, and the pope is his visible presence here,” Monsignor Pham said. “With the presence of the pope, we have the reassurance that Christ indeed has never left his Church unattended for, uncared for. “

“He’s the one who will help us to fulfill our mission as Christians and as a priest working here in the Holy See. I can tell you it’s definitely great news to know I have a new boss,” Father Kingsley said.

Both are looking forward to working with the new Holy Father in helping to lead the universal Church.

Meet Pope Leo XIV: What You Need To Know About the New Holy Father

By Christine Persichette

The first American pope: Pope Leo XIV – born in Chicago, Illinois, raised by a father with French and Italian roots and a mother of Spanish descent.

The new Holy Father studied math at Villanova University before he was ordained a priest in 1982.

Three years later, Father Robert Prevost began missionary work in Peru.

He returned to the United States, then went back to the South American country a couple years later. Prevost stayed there for more than a decade, even becoming a Peruvian citizen. He served as bishop of Chiclayo.

In January of 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops – a powerful position responsible for selecting bishops.

Eight months later, in September of 2023, Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of cardinal.

The 69-year-old is the first Augustinian pope, having led the religious order for more than a decade as their prior general.

Pope Leo XIV is considered an experienced leader and is expected to build upon Pope Francis’ reforms.

He reportedly shares Pope Francis’ vision on the environment, outreach to the poor and migrants, and meeting people where they are.

The new pontiff also supported his predecessor’s decision to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion.

The new pope speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese– and can read Latin and German!

He’s an American, a missionary, and now the 267th pope of the Catholic Church.

Americans in St. Peter’s Square Celebrate Pope Leo XIV, First Pontiff From the U.S.

By Michelle Powers

Just after 7 p.m., the words “Habemus Papam” echoed across Vatican City followed by thunderous applause as the world met their new Holy Father – who stepped out on the balcony as Pope Leo XIV.

But just hours ago, he was known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

He was chosen two days into the conclave, and he’s the first pope from the United States.

For hours, thousands waited – their eyes fixed on the Sistine Chapel chimney.

When the white smoke finally came, bells rang and emotions overflowed.

“Just tears – I couldn’t believe it was today,” a member of the crowd told Currents News.

“I can’t speak, I’m so excited you know,” another said.

“It’s so cool to have someone in the throne of St. Peter that grew up like us and understands us,” one man said.

The pope’s first message from the balcony struck a chord – calling for the Church to build bridges and engage in dialogue.

May 9 he’ll begin his pontificate with a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica and within a week, he will visit St. John Lateran as the Bishop of Rome.

BREAKING: Conclave Elects New Pope, White Smoke Rises From Sistine Chapel

By Currents News

White smoke has emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the papal conclave has chosen the next successor of St. Peter. Stay tuned for updates from the Currents News team, straight from The Vatican.

TONIGHT AT 7: St. Peter’s Square Still Filled With Anticipation as Onlookers Wait for White Smoke

By Michelle Powers

In St. Peter’s Square thousands of people are gathered May 8 and waiting for the next votes for a new pope to be cast by the cardinals elect inside of the Sistine Chapel.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 5/7/2025

Black smoke over the Sistine Chapel means no pope yet, but the crowd in St. Peter’s Square remains eager to meet their new pope.

Currents News was at St. Peter’s Basilica as the cardinal electors prayed for guidance before entering the conclave.

Catholics in the Diocese of Brooklyn marked the start of the papal election process with a special Mass.

TONIGHT AT 7: Cardinals Celebrate Mass for the Election of the Next Pope

By Katie Vasquez and Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – At Mass before the conclave that will elect the next pope, the dean of the College of Cardinals urged his brothers to choose the shepherd the church and all of humanity need “at this difficult and complex and tormented” turning point in history.

“Today’s world expects much from the church regarding the safeguarding of those fundamental human and spiritual values without which human coexistence will not be better nor bring good to future generations,” Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the college, said in his homily.

He prayed that Mary would intercede, and the Holy Spirit would enlighten the cardinal electors “and help them agree on the pope that our time needs.”

The Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica May 7 was the last public event before 133 cardinals from 71 countries were to enter the Sistine Chapel to elect the 267th pope and Pope Francis’ successor. Only cardinals under the age of 80 were eligible to enter the conclave.

Cardinal Re, 91, presided over the Mass “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice” (“for the election of the Roman pontiff”) with some 220 other cardinals, including those who would be entering the conclave that afternoon. The prayers and readings made frequent reference to the need to choose a good pastor.

At the start of the Mass, as the choir sang verses of joy and thanks to the Lord from the Psalms, the cardinals processed up the main aisle of the basilica, wearing red vestments.

They listened as Cardinal Re, who headed the Vatican’s then-Congregation for Bishops and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America from 2000 to 2010, underlined the seriousness of the task before them and the qualities every pope – the successor of St. Peter – must embody.

“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength,” he said, “so that the pope elected may be he whom the church and humanity need at this difficult and complex and tormented turning point in history.”

“To pray, by invoking the Holy Spirit, is the only right and proper attitude to take as the cardinal electors prepare to undertake an act of the highest human and ecclesial responsibility and to make a choice of exceptional importance,” he said.

“This is a human act for which every personal consideration must be set aside, keeping in mind and heart only the God of Jesus Christ and the good of the church and of humanity,” the cardinal warned.

Jesus gave his disciples a “new” commandment, “that you love one another as I have loved you,” he said; that kind of love is one so great and boundless that it includes laying down one’s life for one’s friends.

All of his Jesus’ disciples must always show his same “authentic love in their behavior and commit themselves to building a new civilization” of love, he said, because “love is the only force capable of changing the world.”

This kind of love can be surprising, he said, like when Jesus humbly washed the feet of the apostles, “without discrimination, and not excluding Judas, who would betray him.”

In fact, the fundamental quality of a shepherd “is love to the point of complete self-giving,” Cardinal Re said.

The pre-conclave Mass and its readings invited the world’s cardinals “to fraternal love, to mutual help and to commitment to ecclesial communion and universal human fraternity,” he said.

The shepherd of the universal church has numerous responsibilities, Cardinal Re said, including fostering communion: “communion of all Christians with Christ; communion of the bishops with the pope; communion of the bishops among themselves”; and a communion “that is entirely directed toward communion among persons, peoples and cultures.”

“This is also a strong call to maintain the unity of the church on the path traced out by Christ to the apostles,” he said. This unity “does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity provided that full fidelity to the Gospel is always maintained.”

“Let us pray, then, that the Holy Spirit, who in the last hundred years has given us a series of truly holy and great pontiffs, will give us a new pope according to God’s heart for the good of the church and of humanity,” the cardinal said.

“Let us pray that God will grant the church a pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and awaken the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterized by great technological progress but which tends to forget God,” he said.

Cardinal Re reminded the cardinal electors that as they sit praying and voting in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s “image of Jesus the judge” would be “looming” over them.

In a poem St. John Paul II expressed his hope “that during the hours of voting on this weighty decision,” that image would remind them of “the greatness of the responsibility of placing the ‘supreme keys’ in the correct hands,” he said.

Some five hours after the opening Mass, the cardinals were to process into the Sistine Chapel, swear an oath to uphold the conclave rules, listen to a final reflection and – if they chose to do so – conduct the first ballot.

The cardinals had been meeting almost daily for two weeks to discuss the practical affairs of the papal transition period, the challenges faced by the church and to consider potential candidates for the papacy.

Pre-Conclave Planning: A Look What the Cardinals Discuss Before They Step Into the Sistine Chapel

By Currents News

Vatican experts will tell you that the foundation for the next pope was being laid all this week in pre-conclave meetings. Melissa Butz Corsi joins Currents News with insight on what topics have already been discussed by the cardinals.

Melissa Butz Corsi: Yes, Christine, Tuesday marked the final and 12th general congregation with all the cardinals.

There are many different topics brought up in five-minute intervals by cardinals on various topics.

Some that they would like the next pope to address are the need for promoting peace, welcoming migrants, address the sexual abuse case within the Catholic Church, the financial issues the Church is facing, and attending to the Roman Curia.

CP: Since there are so many cardinals from the peripheries, do you think these meetings ahead of the conclave were enough for them to get to know each other?

MBC: They certainly helped, that’s for sure. The good thing is that when the cardinals spoke during the general congregation, they said that they would actually like not to have the death of a pope be when they first meet each other to have these big topic discussions under all the pressure. They said they would like to have more meetings during a papacy, such as when there’s a consistory when new cardinals are being created, they would also like to get to know each other along the way.

CP: Has there been any indication of whether the cardinals want to continue with a pope like Francis, or mix things up a bit?

MBC: At the beginning of the general congregations, there was some criticism of his reforms, but as the meetings went along, there seemed to be more and more support of his efforts for synodality, hope, mercy, and being close to the people within the Church. They said they would really like the next pope to be a missionary pope, who can be a bridge for a divided world.

CP: They are all sequestered in the Sistine Chapel, and will be until we have a pope. Melissa, tell us: how do they get the Chapel ready for the conclave?

MBC: It basically gets a full makeover. They start off with professionals going in, who can check to make sure no bugs or listening and recording devices have been placed in the Chapel. Then the floor is elevated to protect the marble, and then tables and chairs are all placed inside. The chimney is then put on top and attached to a little stove down below, which will burn all the ballots, to get the famous black or white smoke to indicate how the vote went.

CP: Alright and we will be keeping an eye on that chimney on the Sistine Chapel roof. Thank you, Melissa.

Waiting for White Smoke: The History Behind the Conclave’s Signals From the Sistine Chapel

By Currents News

Seeing smoke emerge from the Sistine Chapel is one of the most anticipated moments for the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square – and the only way to know what’s going on inside the conclave.

Black smoke means the cardinals have not reached an agreement; white smoke means a new pope has been elected.

“In the past, white smoke was produced using dry straw, and black smoke was produced with wet straw. When wet straw was placed in the stove, the smoke turned darker. When dry straw was burned along with the ballots, the smoke came out whiter,” Church history expert Álvaro Serrano said.

However, in the conclaves prior to Pope Francis’ election, there would often be confusion caused by smoke that appeared gray, leaving the faithful uncertain whether a pope had been chosen or not. As a result, they had to wait for the ringing of the basilica’s bells to be sure.

“Pope Benedict XVI introduced a change during his pontificate: at the time of voting, a chemical additive is used – one that makes black smoke truly black and white smoke clearly white. This way, those faithful outside in the square – the “extra omnes” – can clearly see from the chimney whether we have a new pope,” Serrano continued.

The smoke schedule is approximate and depends on how long the cardinals take to vote. However, on a typical day, there are four rounds of voting, and the timing is generally as follows:

Morning session: Cardinals are in the Sistine Chapel from around 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. If there is a pope, white smoke will appear during this time. If not, the process resumes in the afternoon.

Afternoon session: The second smoke signal of the day usually appears between 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM (Rome time). This is the last of the day. If there’s no agreement, the same process repeats the next day.