Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Cardinal Robert Prevost, who has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV, has been elected the 267th bishop of Rome and leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. The new pope takes over a church that is still growing around the world, but where its center of gravity has rapidly shifted from Europe to Africa and Asia.
The new pontiff is former Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, a Chicago-born Augustinian friar who previously headed the influential Vatican Dicastery for Bishops.
Pope Francis invited all Catholics to the table in deliberating the future of the church. Sisters involved in those synods believe there's no turning back — even with a new pope.
Many on the margins felt like Pope Francis was the last world leader defending them. Now, with a conclave ahead, sisters in social ministries say they hope the next pope shares Francis' preference for the poor.
While we do not know who the next pope will be, as a feminist theologian, I am not worried. Yes, the next pope can enact practices that reverse Francis’ reforms — but the Francis Effect extended far beyond his person or office.
