The election of Cardinal Robert Prevost has brought joy and jubilation to Catholics across the world, including to the faithful in New Orleans.
The seminarians at Notre Dame Seminary jumped for joy and cheered when Cardinal Deacon Dominique Mamberti announced that the College of Cardinals elected Chicago native Robert Francis Prevost as the new pontiff--Pope Leo XIV. Father Bryce Sibley, professor of moral theology and spiritual director at Notre Dame, said the seminarians there broke from their finals to watch the news be announced.
"There are more guys watching this than the Super Bowl this year," Fr. Sibley said.
Sibley says he expects the new pontiff to bring renewed optimism to the men who are about to begin their new journeys as priests.
"They're beginning they're priesthoods with a new pope, a new leader, (and) a new potential direction (and) emphasis in the church. It gives them, I think, a lot of hope and a lot of excitement as they begin their own priesthoods," Ft. Sibley said.
Father Sibley says that hope and excitement extend to all Catholics in the state.
"Just like a nation gets excited with a new president and the prospects of what's to come, every pope and every leader has a different leadership style still anchored in the traditions of the church and the love of Jesus Christ," Fr. Sibley said. "They're eager to find out who it is, to find out who the man will be, and to be able to move into this new generation of living Catholicism in southern Louisiana."
Loyola University theologian Tom Ryan said the atmosphere on his campus mirrored that at the seminary. According to Ryan, students and faculty alike gathered around televisions and computers to watch the papal announcement. Ryan agreed with Fr. Sibley, saying that Pope Leo's election offers a new sense of hope for the Catholic Church and its people.
"I think it's reenergizing, and it offers a new sense of hope that the church can be a witness to goodness and truth and beauty for itself but also for people around the world," Ryan said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how we here in South Louisiana and in New Orleans might be inspired by the new pope and help make the world a better place."
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