S. Korea Hails Election of First American Pope, Leo XIV
South Korea has welcomed the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, marking the first time a pontiff from the United States will lead the Catholic Church.
The 69-year-old Augustinian friar from Chicago appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday evening, greeting thousands of Catholics gathered in St. Peter’s Square with a message of peace: “Peace be with you.”
In his first remarks, Pope Leo XIV emphasized a message of nonviolence and divine love.
“This is the peace of the risen Christ, a disarmed peace and a disarming peace,” he said, adding that it is “humble and persevering, from God who loves us all unconditionally.” He also paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope
