By Jose M. Vantroi Reyes T. | Editorial credit: Rokas Tenys / shutterstock.com 

For me, the election of a new Pope —both because of how quickly it happened and because of who was chosen— fills me with enthusiasm. Although I consider myself a Catholic with limited participation in Church rituals, I have embraced its values more out of conviction than fear of divine punishment. I must confess that Pope Francis was my favorite, and now, with the arrival of Leo XIV, I renew my hope in the role the Catholic Church can play in the coming decades. This is not merely a spiritual succession—it’s a clear signal about the direction in which the most influential moral voice on the planet may be heading.

The Catholic Church has elected its new leader. For the second consecutive time, the conclave has chosen a successor from the American continent to ascend the throne of Peter and lead from the Vatican, the oldest church professing faith in Jesus Christ. The new Pope, who changed his name from Robert to Leo XIV, did not do so simply for aesthetic reasons: this symbolic gesture subtly reveals the direction the new administration of one of the world’s oldest and most influential public institutions may take.

The pontificate of Leo XIV begins at a time of deep uncertainty in the Western world. The dominant global power shows signs of weakening in the face of the rise of a new power—initially economic, but rapidly gaining military strength. For the first time in the past 600 years, the world appears to be shifting toward a civilization different from the one built on the values of Western Christianity, the historical core of the Catholic Church, which now places its hope in the leadership of Pope Leo XIV.

He is the first Pope born in the United States, although he later became a naturalized Peruvian citizen during his pastoral service in Peru. His election comes at a time when an alliance among the most conservative sectors of American society has granted significant political power to white evangelical Protestant communities—the Catholic Church’s main competitors within the Christian world. This movement has advanced with an agenda centered on building walls and deporting thousands of Catholics fleeing economic hardship and violence.

One of the greatest challenges of this new Vatican administration will be confronting this exclusionary worldview. In February 2025, while still serving as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Robert Prevost—now Pope Leo XIV—criticized such thinking by stating, “Jesus does not ask us to love selectively.” With this phrase, addressed to then-Vice President J.D. Vance, he rejected the idea of ranking people’s worth based on citizenship. His message echoed the Gospel principle found in Matthew 22:39: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In a world increasingly divided by inequality and the manipulation of faith, this stance marks a necessary return to the heart of the evangelical message.

Origins of the New Pontiff

Speculating a bit: political instability led many families to emigrate after the famous Grito de Capotillo, proclaimed by Santiago Rodríguez and Gregorio Luperón in 1863 to restore the Dominican Republic. Among them were Jacques Martínez and María Rosa Ramos, who left the territory of Santo Domingo—briefly under Haitian administration during the occupation of what is now the Dominican Republic—and resettled in the United States with their young son, Joseph Martínez Ramos, born on January 8, 1864, shortly after the Restoration began.

Jacques never imagined that years later, a granddaughter—born of Joseph’s union with Louise Baquié, a Louisiana native—would become the mother of a Pope. Mildred A. Martínez, a librarian and devoted parishioner, had her son with Louis Marius Prevost, a devout Italian descendant. Together, they inspired their son Robert to pursue a path within one of the world’s most structured and methodical religious institutions.

The Catholic Church has a long-standing tradition of choosing the right person for the right moment. The selection of a Pope born in the United States, the son of immigrants, and the product of a blend of cultures and backgrounds, is no coincidence. Leo XIV’s multiethnic heritage can be seen as a clear response by the Catholic Church to conservative Protestant elites who promote racial supremacy and view Latin American Catholics as second-class citizens.

Conclusion

To conclude, I cannot hide my enthusiasm for the new Pope. With this decision, the Catholic Church demonstrates coherence and continuity. With modest adjustments, it appears ready to follow in the footsteps of Francis, staying in tune with the prayers and hopes of millions of Catholics around the world who yearn for peace, prosperity, and justice. Amid so much division and regression, this election reminds us that it is still possible to have a Church that listens, welcomes, and acts with moral courage in the face of the world’s greatest challenges.

Leo XIV ascends Peter’s throne at a complex yet opportunity-filled moment—and does so with a vision that does not deny the past but looks boldly to the future.

In a time when many leaders continue to build walls, Leo XIV offers the real possibility that, from Rome, bridges will be built instead.

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