WORLD leaders are reacting to Pope Leo XIV becoming the new head of the Catholic Church today.
Many of them expressed eagerness to work with Leo on global issues. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.
Prevost, 69, from Chicago, Illinois, is the first ever pope from the United States. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America.
Here’s what some world leaders are saying:
Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte, said Thursday that Pope Leo’s election is a “historic moment for Peru and the world”.
Leo, spent much of his career as a missionary in South America. He worked for a decade in Trujillo and was later appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023.
He became a citizen in 2015, the president said.
“In our lands, he sowed hope, walked alongside the most needy, and shared the joys of our people. His choice for Peru was not merely formal, but profoundly spiritual and human. He chose to be one of us, to live among us, and to carry in his heart the faith, culture, and dreams of this nation,” Boluarte said, according to a translation to English.
She asked people in Peru to pray for the new pope and said his election “is a call to renew our faith, to work for justice, and to strengthen unity in Peru and beyond.”
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he hopes “that this ground swell of best wishes toward Pope Leo XIV will give him strength and support as he takes on the immense responsibility of his pontificate,” according to a statement on X. He also said he looks forward to working with Leo “in addressing the many and interlinked challenges facing our world.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez congratulated the church in a post on X and said he hopes Leo’s “pontificate contribute to strengthening dialogue and the defense of human rights in a world in need of hope and unity.
European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement they “are confident that Pope Leo XIV will use his voice on the global stage to promote these shared values and encourage unity in the pursuit of a more just and compassionate world.” The two leaders said the European Union is ready to work with the new leader “to confront global challenges.”
United Arab Emirates President Mohamed Bin Zayed sent his “sincere best wishes to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his appointment as head of the Catholic Church and wish him success in continuing to promote mutual understanding, peace, and harmony throughout the world,” in a post on X.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that “Ukraine highly appreciates the consistent position of the Holy See regarding the adherence to international law, the condemnation of the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and the protection of the rights of innocent civilian citizens.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory telegram to Leo upon his election, the Kremlin said. “I wish you, Your Holiness, success in fulfilling the high mission entrusted to you, as well as good health and well-being,” the message said, according to the Kremlin.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Leo is “more than American,” and highlighted his time spent in Peru. “I hope he is the great leader of the migrant people in the world and hopefully he encourages our Latin American migrant brothers, today humiliated in the United States,” he said in a post on X.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, according to the government’s official account on X, said he was praying for the “success in these efforts to spread the message of love and peace throughout the world, to promote dialogue between different religions and cultures, and that his reign be filled with achievements that serve all of humanity.
