Mass of Thanksgiving for the Election of Pope Leo XIV

Spanish

With grateful hearts, the Church proclaims Habemus Papam! — We have a pope.  

I join Catholics throughout the Diocese of San José in welcoming Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, OSA. A son of Chicago who answered the Lord’s call as an Augustinian missionary, he spent much of his priestly and episcopal ministry in Peru—eventually becoming a citizen of Peru—before serving the universal Church in Rome.  

By choosing the name Leo, our Holy Father nods to Pope Leo XIII, author of Rerum Novarum (1891), the landmark encyclical that placed the dignity of workers and the demands of justice at the heart of Catholic social teaching. Pope Leo XIV’s first words from the loggia — a call to “build bridges, not divide” — signal a pastoral desire to span the distance between divisions. Our new Holy Father embodies the richness of the Church’s global family: he understands the rhythms of North America while carrying within him the lived faith of the global South. Having shepherded the Augustinian Order and most recently advised the universal Church on episcopal appointments, he brings both administrative wisdom and a missionary’s heart for evangelization in the 21st century. 

Let us entrust our new pontiff to the Holy Spirit, asking that his ministry as Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter be marked by humility, courage, and tenderness toward all. May he inspire us to be a people who listen, accompany, and proclaim the Gospel with joy. 

To unite our prayers, I will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Election of Pope Leo XIV on Monday, May 19, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph at 7:00 p.m.. I invite every parish and school to remember the Holy Father in their liturgies and devotions in the days ahead. 

Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede for Pope Leo XIV and for us, that together we may “keep our arms open” in welcome and walk faithfully in the love of Christ. 

+ Oscar Cantú
Bishop of San José