Appreciating Pope Leo

     A year has gone by since the College of Cardinals elected Robert Francis Prevost to assume the Petrine ministry of Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ (cf. Matthew 16:19), taking the name Leo XIV. Elected May 8th, he celebrated an “inauguration” of his ministry on May 18th, where he preached about the love of God and the unity to which we are called as Christians. This theme is reflected also in his motto, “In the One, we are one.” As universal shepherd of the entire flock, he has a special charism and responsibility to foster the unity of all Christians, rooted in the love of Christ. 
     In the last year, Pope Leo has made four Apostolic Journeys, including one to Türkiye and Lebanon last year to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, and one to four African countries just last month. His next Journey outside of Italy will be to Spain next month. In his General Audiences, he has preached on Jesus Christ our Hope, and is currently teaching on the Documents of the Second Vatican Council. All of his speeches can be found online at www.vatican.va, and click on the link “Magisterium”. 
     During his pontificate so far, Pope Leo has frequently advocated for peace and a rightly-ordered public sphere. Occasionally this has made headlines, and has even been met with rancor and resistance sometimes, even from otherwise faithful Catholics. (Some of this is caused, unfortunately, by folks who distort his words to suit their own agendas.) We owe it to our Holy Father to take his admonitions seriously, and engage his teachings in a spirit of thoughtful receptivity. 
     It is anticipated that Pope Leo will soon issue his first encyclical letter on Catholic social teaching and the use of Artificial Intelligence. Perhaps it will have already been released by the time you read this. 
     Please join me in giving thanks to God for our Holy Father as we mark a year of his pontificate, and praying for his continued good health and fruitful ministry. May God abundantly bless Pope Leo XIV! 
 
     Thanks to all who have participated in our Anniversary Photo Directory, and especially our wonderful volunteers who have helped make it possible! We have a few additional dates for photos in June, so if you missed signing up during the first run, you still have an opportunity to be included.