By Rosalind Russell – Bishop Thomas Dowd of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie says he hopes to meet the new Pope when he travels to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth at the end of July.
He says the new Pope, 69-year-old Robert Francis Provost, from the United States, has chosen the name Pope Leo the 14th, a move he feels is very apt, since the last Pope Leo (the 13th) is considered the first Pope of the modern age and this one will continue that legacy of modernization.
He adds Pope Leo the 14th was raised in the United States but served much of his ecclesiastical time in South America, so he is optimistic that the new Pope will be a bridge between the modern society and Third World needs.
Bishop Dowd adds that the Pope’s first words calling for a mission of peace hit the nail right on the head, especially with the turmoil in the world today.
Bishop Dowd admits the naming of the new Pope was also a surprise, but is enthusiastic to see what direction he will take in leading the Catholic Church.
He adds he is more than excited to go to Rome this summer with the new Pope having now been elected.
Bishop Dowd says this Conclave was a very exciting moment as the world watched the white smoke come from the chimney.
We welcome this news with great joy for our Church, adding “this is someone we are all called to get to know.’
“This was a surprise! Conventual wisdom did not see a citizen of the United States become Pope, but at the same time, he was a Bishop in Latin America in Peru, so he really is not just from the States, he is deeply embedded in a Church of migrants, a Church of the poor, an international Church” said Bishop Dowd.
As the world comes to know the new Pope, local Catholics in Northern Ontario will begin to hear his name immediately during Catholic Mass.
“The name of the Pope is mentioned during Mass, because he is the focal point of unity for the whole Church, and so by hearing his name and praying for him, it is like being part of one big Catholic family,” adds Bishop Dowd.
Photo: Bishop Thomas Dowd is pleasantly surprised by the choice of a new Pope. As for what Bishop Dowd expects from a Leo XIV papacy, the Bishop was struck by the first words spoken by the new Pope as he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. “His first words were ‘Peace be with you’, the words of Jesus after his resurrection from the dead, and if this Pope will be an agent of peace in our world, Lord knows we need that today.”
Photo supplied
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