May 14, 2025

North Country Catholic

While the world reacts to the news of the new pope, so too does the Church of the North Country and in New York.

“God is good! I join the faithful of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in congratulating Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has been named as our new pope,” said Bishop Terry R. LaValley. “Choosing the name Pope Leo XIV, the Holy Father will be the 267th successor of St. Peter the Apostle.”

Bishop LaValley, like many, is still learning about the new Holy Father.

“Though I don’t know him personally, based on the accounts I’ve heard, the Holy Spirit has sure come through for us again,” he said. “The new Pope’s words to us: ‘Peace with you!’ convey a message so badly needed to be taken to heart. We praise God for His faithfulness and assure the new pontiff of our strong support in his ministry among us. God Bless Pope Leo XIV.”

The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents bishops across the state, expressed similar sentiments.

“We at the New York State Catholic Conference join our Bishops in giving thanks to God for the election of Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost,” the Conference said in a statement. ““As the first American pope, Pope Leo’s election by the College of Cardinals is of course a moment of deep national pride for U.S. Catholics. More importantly, Pope Leo brings a continuity with the ministry of Pope Francis, while at the same time gifting the Church with his own unique perspective as a son of Chicago, an Augustinian priest and provincial of that order, a missionary and bishop in Peru, and a high-ranking Vatican official as prefect for the Dicastery of Bishops. With his choice of the name Leo, he clearly signals a deep commitment to Catholic social teaching and support for working men and women.”

The Catholic Conference also took note of the Holy Father’s first words to the world after election.

“In emerging on the balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo’s first words were ‘Peace be with you,’ which he noted were the Risen Christ’s first words in the Gospel to his Apostles,” the Conference statement said. “He spoke of the need for peace in our world, and we pray that his ministry serves as an instrument of that peace. As Americans, we also pray that his election serves as a much-needed moment of evangelization and renewal for the Church in our cherished homeland.”