We are pleased to share a beautiful welcome written by Rev Dr Brendan J Reed, friend of Bishop Joe.
Australians woke up on Friday morning with the news that the Conclave had elected Pope Leo, Robert Cardinal Prevost as the new Pope. What can we expect of Leo XIV, the name the new Pope had chosen? The name a Pope chooses already signals to the Church and the world something of his priorities and style. The world knew, for example, when Cardinal Bergoglio chose Francis that he would be a leader who would be close to the poor and a leader who like St Francis, would be charged with ‘re-building’ the Church.
The last Pope Leo was Leo XIII and he was Pope from 1878 – 1903. Leo XIII is often referred to as the father of Catholic Social Teaching. In response to the de-humanising elements of the Industrial Revolution his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum outlined the rights of workers to a fair wage, safe working conditions and the formation of trade unions while affirming the rights to property and free enterprise. In this way he opposed both socialism and laissez faire capitalism. Rerum Novarum began a century of Papal teaching on social issues. It led to the formulation what are often called today the principals of Catholic Social Teaching, including: the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human person, solidarity, the right to participation in decision making that affects the individual or community, the dignity of work and the rights of works, the preferential option for the poor. All of these things, of course, are founded on the gospel and the life of Christ.
Just about every Pope since Leo XIII has built on the Social Teaching of the Church. Pope Francis did so with his encyclical Laudato Si which picked up the urgent issue of our day in relation to the care for the earth and its peoples – our common home.
By choosing the name Leo XIV our new Pope has signalled that he sees himself in line with the last century of Catholic Social Teaching. We may expect to see him speaking out on some of the issues of our day including the displacement of peoples and migration, ongoing violent conflicts in many parts of the globe, social cohesion and climate change. His first words to the world were ‘Peace be with you’. He is sure to be a Pope who will pursue peace and justice.
Our new Pope Leo XIV is also an Augustinian. We can presume that he will also bring with him that Augustinian Spirituality that comes from St Augustine’s famous edict: “You have made us for yourself O Lord and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” So, Pope Leo XIV may appeal to the restless hearts of the world to find solace in the gospel call to reconciliation and peace, the gospel call to inclusion and solidarity.
Let us pray for our new Pope Leo this weekend that the Lord will lead and guide him so that he may in turn lead and guide our Church and all people of good will into a just and peaceful future
By the way the last Pope Leo was Pope for 25 years!
Rev Dr Brendan J Reed
