Please find a statement below from Duquesne University President Ken Gormley on the election of Pope Leo XIV.

“The election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new Pope – taking the name Pope Leo XIV – is historic and should be reassuring to Catholics worldwide. The first American-born Cardinal to become Pope – at a time when the United States faces challenges in conveying a positive image around the world – is a historic nod to this nation’s importance in the global community.
 
“The fact that Pope Leo has spent the last decade holding key apostolic positions in Peru, and also as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome – gives him a breadth of experience that positions him to be both a pastoral leader of the global Catholic Church, and a skilled ambassador on the world scene. A graduate of Villanova University and a canon lawyer, Pope Leo also has strong ties to Pennsylvania, and will likely be a visible figure in North America, Central America and South America, strengthening the Church’s presence in this country and this hemisphere. Perhaps most significantly, though, Pope Leo was carefully positioned by Pope Francis for successively important positions in the Church and in the Vatican; he had clearly earned Pope Francis’s vote of confidence as a potential successor to carry on his important work. 
 
“For that reason, the new era that begins today with the election of Pope Leo is likely to mark the strengthening and expansion of Pope Francis’s pastoral and humanistic approach to the role of supreme pontiff, expanding the reach of the Church and embracing all individuals, including those who have been marginalized. For that reason, this is an outcome that Pope Francis would almost certainly view with quiet approval.”

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of nearly 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

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Published

May 08, 2025