Pope Leo XIV with Ximena Valdivia Muro
Ximena Valdivia Muro, the Coordinator of Justice and Peace for the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, where Pope Leo XIV served as bishop, said, “His Holiness Leo XIV is a man who is simple and close to the people, a man who always keeps his heart open to listen.”
Muro continued, “When we had activities of the Youth Pastoral group, he always received us with care. I remember that we could always depend on him, that he was alert to every detail and available for any initiative. The truth is that he always demonstrated his profound interest and a great closeness with young people.”
Ronald Moreno, an Animator of Laudato Si’ Animators, said, “I am deeply moved by the election of the new Pope Leo XIV, a Pope with a Peruvian heart. His commitment to the poor and the excluded is a call to action for everyone. In his mission as the Bishop of Chiclayo, he showed his preference for the most vulnerable. I am convinced that this leadership will inspire us to keep working for justice and the care of our common home.”
Argentina Saavedra, the Coordinator of the Peruvian National Chapter of Laudato Si’ Movement, said “It is with immense happiness that we receive the election of the new Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic moment for the Church and for Peru: the new Successor of Peter is also of Peruvian nationality and was the bishop of Chiclayo.”
Saavedra continued, “He has lived among Peruvians, sharing the life and faith of our villages, walking with simplicity, closeness, and a pastoral commitment. From the Laudato Si’ Movement Peruvian Chapter, we join in prayer for his pontificate, for the Holy Spirit to guide him in this new stage in service to all humanity, with the preferential option and love for the poor, for a Church that is synodal, prophetic, and full of home.”
Michael Terrien, who leads ecological activities in Chicago, where Pope Leo XIV went to seminary at Catholic Theological Union, said, “My understanding is that the Holy Father was open minded and supportive of Vatican II while attending Catholic Theological Union. Viva la Papa!”
Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org and Third Act, said, “As a cardinal, Pope Leo XIV spoke out for solar panels and electric vehicles–and as he’s said it’s time for ‘words into action.’ A slogan for our moment on many fronts, and a man for our moment too!”
Tzeporah Berman, Chair of the Steering Committee of the Fossil Fuel Nonproliferation Treaty, said, “Pope Leo XIV is clearly a leader who understands the need for strong action on climate change and cooperation to ensure a peaceful planet. We are thrilled at his election.”
Lucrecia Nessi, youth leader and Fiscal President of Laudato Si’ Movement-Timor Leste “ I thank the Holy Trinity for all the blessings throughout the conclave process. When I heard about the election of Pope Leo XIV, I was filled with happy tears and deep hope. It’s a new chapter for the Church, and as a young Catholic, I look forward to his guidance in today’s complex world.
As he strongly advocates for peace for all humanity, I hope Pope Leo XIV will join youth voices and continue Pope Francis’ call for urgent climate action and climate justice, because caring for our planet is essential to building lasting peace for everyone.
Welcome, Pope Leo XIV! With joy and prayers, may your papacy be guided by the Holy Spirit with compassion, peace, courage, and care for our common home.””
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, Bishop of San Carlos and head of the National Laudato Si’ Program of the Bishops Conference of the Philippines “ Because Pope Leo XIII wrote the first social encyclical, Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of the Working Classes), we hope that Pope Leo XIV will continue emphasizing and witnessing to the “Best-Kept Secret” Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church. He has shown his commitment to the poor and migrants and to meeting people where they are as Pope Francis did.
Pope Leo XIV also has publicly expressed his views and stand on several occasion to be very close to Pope Francis’ vision regarding the environment, we hope he will pursue his predecessor’s challenge to move “from words to action” based on the Social Doctrine of the Church, fostering a “relationship of reciprocity” with the environment, avoiding the “harmful” consequences of technological development and strengthening the Holy See’s commitment to protecting the environment, like what the Vatican has done in installing solar panels and shifting to electric vehicles. This includes safeguarding and being transparent in our dealing with both human and financial resources of the Church as well as the rest of God’s creation.”
Bishop Allwyn D’Silva, Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences- Office of Human Development “ I was happy to hear that Pope Leo XIV was elected after a few rounds. It shows that the Cardinals were united in their choice. I feel he will bring a certain intellectualism in his papacy, combined with love for nature and those on the edges in society.”
Fr. Albert Kipili, Laudato Si’ Animator in the Philippines: “ Pope Leo XIV I am certain that he will be able to give continuity to the pontificate of his predecessor. He is a man of peace, a missionary, a lover of synodality and above all a pastor.
By choosing the name Leo XIV, he honors Pope Leo XIII, the great defender of the working class and Catholic social teaching. His election during the 2025 Jubilee Year signals hope, unity, and renewal for the global Church.”
Sr. Jyotisha Kannamkal, Sisters of Notre Dame, India and GMC Member, LSM: It was a moment of surprise for me when I heard that Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago born, to be the next Bishop of Rome. I folded my hands and prayed to the Holy Spirit for light and wisdom to accept and love the first US Pope as the successor to Pope Francis. I felt a gentle touch of peace in my heart as I learned that new Pope Leo XIV is a man of action from the muddy lanes of a flood- ravaged town in Peru. I raised my soul in thanksgiving to the God of Surprises for the gift of Pope Leo XIV as the new shepherd of the Catholic Church. Praised be to You, My Lord!
Pope Leo XIV will take forward the legacy of Pope Francis in the care for our common home. He is a man of action; he will guide and lead us in taking concrete actions for the care for creation from grassroots to the global table. His name after Pope Leo XIII, signifies his attitudes and values towards social justice and love for the afflicted and vulnerable. We can hope for a Church functioning as a field hospital, as visualized by Pope Francis. In Pope Leo XIV, we hope for a bridge builder across all divides and uniting the whole humanity in peace and tenderness. Under his leadership may the Church becomes a sign of simplicity and solidarity for a more sustainable, peaceful and fraternal
world.”
Sr. Vincentia HK , Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, LSM Indonesia- Lampung chapter coordinator: “ I feel a sense of joy in the greeting ‘Peace be with you all’, which I see as a tender expression of the resurrection’s spirit. This calls for building bridges toward a civilization of justice, peace, and healing wounds of poverty, environmental harm and conflict. The universal church’s journey continues, guided by synodal leadership”
Jacqui Remond, Australian Catholic University and Co-founder Laudato Si’ Movement: “In many ways Pope Leo 14th’s first message is continuing the legacy of Pope Francis by illuminating openness, dialogue and encounter as social tools for walking together that transform ourselves, our church and our relationships with creation.
I feel inspired by the name LEO, and recall the transformative work of Pope Leo 13th. Imagining that Leo 14th might purposefully embed and evolve social-ecological teaching, practice and ways of learning to become a church for all creation. As a Canon Lawyer, with the name LEO, he is capable of embedding what Pope Francis embodied in living integral ecology and preaching the Gospel of Creation, and being an interconnected presence intentionally bridging integral ecologies on Earth.
What a gift for the church and our planet!”
Hyonhwa Angela, Laudato Si’ Movement -Korea chapter coordinator: “ I am very pleased with the election of the new Pope.I hope that he will present the right vision and hope for this era, in particular,listen to the voices of the weak in this world dominated by capital and technology.”
Kevin Foy, Executive Director, United States Catholic Mission Association “One of the most hopeful signs, for me, is Pope Leo XIV’s mission experience in Peru, whose people have seen increased climate instability and food insecurity as a result of the worsening ecological crisis. From his emphasis on ‘seeking peace, charity, closeness, especially to those who are suffering’ in his first greeting to the faithful, to the association of his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, with Catholic Social Teaching and the dignity of the poor and laborers, I am optimistic that Pope Leo XVI will build upon the groundwork laid by Pope Francis in Laudato si and continue to make prophetic ecological dialogue and witness a priority for the Church at every level. As a graduate of Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union, we can hope for no better education in the mission of God to all people and creation.”
Rose Therese Nolta,Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters in Chicago, mention “ As someone living in the Chicagoland area, I’m happy and proud about the election of Pope Leo XIV. I am confident that he will be actively involved in advancing environmental protection and promoting sustainable practices. His missionary experience could provide a strong faith-based platform for addressing global environmental challenges. Following in the footsteps of Pope Francis, I pray he will help move the Church—and all people—from words to meaningful action. I also hope he will inspire American Catholics to engage more deeply with the realities we face today. I will certainly keep him in my prayers”