In naming Bishop Hicks for this high-profile post, Pope Leo chose a man whom he already knew; they met in 2024 when the then-Cardinal Robert Prevost gave a talk at a parish in the Joliet diocese.
Gerard O’Connell
Gerard O’Connell is America’s senior Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
UPDATED: Pope Leo meets Ukraine’s Zelensky as European leaders discuss controversial U.S. peace plan
Pope Leo and President Volodymyr Zelensky met at a particularly delicate moment in the international effort to arrive at a peace plan that can be accepted by both Ukraine and Russia.
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Vatican report says no to ordaining women deacons—for now
“The purely historical perspective does not allow us to arrive at any definitive certainty,” a Vatican report concluded. “In the final analysis, the question must be decided on the doctrinal level.”
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo on what he was thinking inside the conclave
“I resigned myself when I saw the way things were going…. I took a deep breath, [and] I said: ‘Here we go, Lord. You are in charge; you lead the way.’”
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Pope Leo meets survivors of Beirut port explosion and calls for peace as he concludes Lebanon visit
Pope Leo concluded his visit to Lebanon with a heartfelt appeal at the airport before departing for Rome on Dec. 2: “May the attacks and hostilities cease. We must recognize that armed struggle brings no benefit. While weapons are lethal, negotiation, mediation and dialogue are constructive. Let us all choose peace as a way, not just as a goal!”
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Pope Leo preaches peace as he visits young people and religious sites in Lebanon
“Peace! Peace!” That is the cry one hears everywhere Pope Leo goes on his second day in Lebanon.
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Pope Leo makes a strong pitch for peace in war-threatened Lebanon
When Pope Leo arrived in Beirut on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 30, on the second stage of his first foreign trip, his main aim was to promote peace and do what he could to prevent a year-long, unstable cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon from collapsing into a new war.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo addresses Gaza, Ukraine and hopes for Christian unity in first plane press conference
Pope Leo held an informal press conference today on his flight from Istanbul to Beirut, addressing his hopes for greater ecumenical cooperation and for peace in Gaza and Ukraine.
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In Turkey, Pope Leo pushes for unity and peace—within and beyond Christianity
On his first foreign trip as pope, Leo XIV encourages Turkey’s Christians, government and Islamic leaders to work together for peace and unity.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew urge Christian unity at Nicaea commemoration
“We are all invited to overcome the scandal of the divisions that unfortunately still exist [among Christians] and to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life,” Pope Leo XIV said.