Archbishop welcomes appointment of Pope Leo XIV as ‘friend of Ireland’

Leo XIV is the 267th Pope, becoming the religious leader of Catholics across the globe and someone believed to be called to be the successor to St Peter, who was the first.

The news came at shortly after 5pm on Thursday as white smoke billowed into the air from a chimney at the Sistine Chapel. There were cheers and applause from onlookers as bells tolled to confirm the news.

Archbishop Martin is the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland, as well as being the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Dromore.

Speaking from Lourdes, where he is currently leading a pilgrimage from the Archdiocese of Armagh to the Marian grotto, he called for prayers for the new Pope.

"With great joy, I welcome our new #PopeLeoXIV. At the end of February I and the other Irish archbishops - Dermot Farrell, Kieran O'Reilly, Francis Duffy - met with him, and he came across as a humble and respectful listener, wanting to learn as much as possible about the Church in Ireland,” said Archbishop Martin.

"He is a calm, affable and approachable person. He is a friend of Ireland and no doubt the Augustinian communities at home will be delighted with the news.

"Pope Leo is a missionary at heart with a breadth of international experience and background - having ministered in three continents. His opening words about peace and ‘building bridges’ indicate that he wishes to work for reconciliation and unity in the Church and in the world.”

He added that Pope Leo's choice of name “suggests that a commitment to Catholic social teaching will be a hallmark of his papacy.

"Please pray for him. Saint Peter intercede for him. Our Lady of Grace watch over him.

"I pray: God bless #PopeLeoXIV. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon him with all the graces he needs to be a courageous and gentle shepherd. Fill him with faith, hope and love. May he govern with wisdom and fidelity to Christ and the Gospel. May he be an inspiring missionary of peace, healing and reconciliation in the world. Give him health and strength to do all that you ask of him. Amen.”

Archbishop Martin was to use the name of Pope Leo XIV for the first time at Mass this morning in Lourdes in prayers for new Pope.

Meanwhile, Archbishop John McDowell, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland said: “As we in the Church of Ireland prepared to meet in Synod not long after the funeral of Pope Francis who refreshed the whole idea of Synodality for the Roman Catholic Church and perhaps for the Universal Church, the Cardinal electors were meeting in the Sistine Chapel to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit on who should be a successor to Francis.

“Today they have elected Pope Leo XIV and we rejoice with our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters that a heavy responsibility has been discharged and can now be received with thanksgiving by the Christian world. I wish to pass on the good wishes of the Church of Ireland not only to Pope Leo but also to the bishops, priests and Catholic people of Ireland as they enter in closer communion and closer knowledge of their new Chief Shepherd.

“In any episcopal and pontifical succession beginnings are never completely new and endings are never entirely final, so we give thanks to God for the spiritual riches which Pope Leo has inherited and pray that he may know the presence of our common Lord and Saviour as he walks together in discipleship with all who are called by His Name.

"I also share my best wishes with the Catholic faithful of the United States of America on the election of the first American Pope.”

Since Wednesday afternoon some 133 cardinals have been in a secret conclave meeting, with the group were cut off from all communications with the outside world. It has taken just 24 hours for them to elect their new leader.

The cardinals had taken an oath of secrecy before casting their anonymous ballots for their chosen name. Before they made their choice, cardinals were reminded at a special Mass of the “choice of exceptional importance” they must make.

And they were urged to “invoke the help of the Holy Spirit” to help them elect a pope “whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history”.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said, during the mass in St Peter’s Basilica, that the new Pope would need to be someone who can “awaken the consciences of all and the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterised by great technological progress but which tends to forget God”.

The conclave was understood to be one of the most diverse of any meeting of cardinals before, with around 70 countries represented such as Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga.