Robert Prevast of the Card at the time was considered a long shot among bishops who were former Vatican officials who worked for Pope Francis and were thought to be the new Pope, former Vatican officials who knew Prevle, but he said he was not at all surprised by the choice.
Daniel Gallagher, former Latin secretary to Pope Benedict XVI and Francis and current professor of literature at Ralston University, recalls Pope Leo XIV as a softly spoken and modest intellectual that “fits exactly the bill.”
“(When Cardinals was interviewed) they said they wanted a pastor and a missionary,” Gallagher said.
He added that Pope Leo’s choices have created a strong sense of continuity in the church’s commitment to supporting refugees, deprived and poor communities.
“I remember[he]advocating for the importance of making immigrants a higher priority in church diplomacy,” Gallagher recalled attending the meeting in front of the then-Prime Minister.
The unassuming character of the new Pope reflects the time he spent giving his first speech from the main central lodge balcony of St. Peter’s Cathedral.
“I also found myself limiting my time he spoke to myself, which is another iconic thing,” Gallagher said. “In other words, he wants to be the point and won’t get caught up in for a long time.”
Augustine’s missionary, who met Pope Leo in 2014, also described the new Pope as a good listener.
“He is a man of heart, open, kind, very humble, very headed towards the earth,” said Sarfraz Alam, speaking at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in downtown Los Angeles. “He listens and opens his heart.”
Some American Catholics may be disappointed that the new Pope spoke only in Italian and Spanish in his first public speech, but the first American Pope uses his native language when it is necessary.
“I think he’s going to use English to do the kind of interviews and diplomatic work,” predicted Gallagher. “If you can speak English fluently and don’t need to be so self-conscious about how he speaks it can be a great benefit in today’s world where English is very common.”
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