JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It felt like the square could talk in one voice: “Leone! Leone! Leone!”
Thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square chanted in chorus the name adopted by Cardinal Robert Prevost as he ascended to the papacy Leo XIV.
Among his first words as pope, Leo XIV spoke fondly of his predecessor, Pope Francis. He also spoke of his role in the Augustinian Order.
Before the conclave, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that during gatherings of the College of Cardinals in the days before the conclave they emphasized the need for a pope with “a prophetic spirit capable of leading a Church that does not close in on itself but knows how to go out and bring light to a world marked by despair.”
There are those who believe that Pope Leo will be that type of leader.
Fr. Tom Willis from the Diocese of St. Augustine joined us on The Morning Show to discuss what’s next for Pope Leo XIV. Willis believes Leo will likely carry forward Francis’ legacy, though he will forge his own path.