POPE LEO XIV BEGINS HIS PONTIFICATE AMID TRIBUTE TO FRANCIS

KENYAN CATHOLICS JOINED MILLIONS AROUND THE GLOBE IN WELCOMING THEIR NEW SHEPHERD

Days after Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from the United States was elected as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the papal name Pope Leo the Fourteenth. At 69, Pope Leo XIV is the first American to ascend to the papacy and the first member of the Augustinian order to hold the position. In his inaugural address from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he conveyed a message of peace and unity, urging the faithful to move forward together, hand in hand with God

The conclave’s decision follows the passing of Pope Francis last month, marking a new chapter in the Church’s history

In a moving first mass beneath Michelangelo’s ceiling, a new light rises over the Vatican following the election of pope Leo the fourteenth, the first American to ascend to the papacy. The new pontiff called on the church to shine in a world darkened by division. And from the streets of Rome to the heart of Nairobi, Kenyan Catholics joined millions around the globe in welcoming their new shepherd. As the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, a jubilee year begins with new hope, fresh vision, and a deep call to unity.

A historic moment for the Roman Catholic Church — the white smoke from the Sistine chapel chimney signaled the election of a new pope: Leo the fourteenth. In a swift conclave lasting less than 26 hours, cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the united states has become the 267th successor of saint peter — and the first American to hold the papacy.

And in the grandeur of the Sistine chapel, beneath Michelangelo’s timeless frescoes, pope Leo xiv celebrated his first mass. He called on the church to illuminate “the dark nights of this world,” urging a return to faith over materialism in a world distracted by technology and power.

Aged 69, the former missionary spent decades in Peru, blending North American roots with deep Latin American ties. A member of the order of St. Augustine, pope Leo has championed social justice, environmental action, and inclusion — echoing the legacy of the beloved pope Francis.

His predecessor, pope Francis, passed on Easter Monday at 88. In his first words, pope Leo paid homage, saying, “we still hear the weak but courageous voice of pope Francis who blessed us.”

Kenyan faithful have welcomed the 69 year old pontiff the first from the order of st Augustine who happened to be in Kenya last year meeting his Kenyan brothers all the way to baba dogo in Nairobi in the standing of a cardinal…. Unknowingly within the sands of time he would walk into the new year with a new experience for himself and the catholic church.

The white smoke from the sistine chapel chimney heralds a historic moment — as Leo xiv begins his mission to shepherd at least 1.4 billion Catholics, all eyes turn to Rome a church mourning, but also hopeful for renewal at a cultural crossroads in this jubilee year. Viva il papa.