Royal House, Sánchez and Feijóo congratulate Leo XIV, the first American Pope in history

Eduardo González The Royal Household, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the leader of the People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, have congratulated Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost on his appointment as Pope Leo XIV. "We congratulate Cardinal Prevost on his election as the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV," the Royal Household wrote on social media. "His call for peace inspires us, encourages us, and reflects the deep desire and sentiment of the Spanish people," it added. For his part, Pedro Sánchez conveyed his "congratulations to the entire Catholic Church on the election of the new Pope Leo XIV." "May his pontificate contribute to strengthening dialogue and the defense of human rights in a world that needs hope and unity," he continued on social media. "Habemus Papam," wrote the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo. "I wish Pope Leo XIV success, strength, and wisdom in the great responsibility he assumes today. May his papacy be a source of unity in the face of the great challenges facing the world," he added. For their part, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, congratulated the new Pope Leo XIV upon his election as head of the Catholic Church. In a joint statement, they highlighted the importance of the Church's role in the lives of millions of Europeans and expressed their confidence in the new Pontiff's leadership. "Millions of Europeans find daily inspiration in the Church's enduring commitment to peace, human dignity, and mutual understanding among nations," they stated. They also expressed confidence that Leo XIV "will use his voice on the global stage to promote these shared values and encourage unity in the pursuit of a more just and compassionate world." Costa and von der Leyen also underscored the European Union's willingness to work with the Holy See "to address global challenges and foster a spirit of solidarity, respect, and kindness." They concluded their message by hoping that the pontificate of Leo XIV “may be guided by wisdom and strength as he leads the Catholic community and inspires the world through his commitment to peace and dialogue.” US President Donald Trump has congratulated his fellow American Robert Francis Prevost on his appointment as Pope. "It is a great honor to know that you are the first American Pope. What a thrill and what a great honor for our country! I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very significant moment!" he wrote. For its part, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE), the only institution that officially represents Spanish Jewish communities, has congratulated the Catholic Church on the election of Cardinal Prevost as the new Pontiff with the name of Leo XIV. "In this significant year for both faiths, as it marks the 60th anniversary of the declaration Nostra Aetate, by which the Catholic Church took a historic step asking for forgiveness and rapprochement with Judaism, the arrival of a new Pontiff can mean a renewal of those vows of respect, rapprochement, and cooperation," the FCJE stated in a statement. "We hope to continue to bridge gaps and work together in the pursuit of a world of peace, tolerance, respect, and spiritual life," it concluded. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, has become the first American pope and the 267th in history. He will reign as Leo XIV. Born in September 1955 in Chicago, Prévost was one of the leading candidates to succeed Pope Francis. A former superior of the Augustinians, Prévost, 69, has spent a good part of his life in Peru, where he served as a missionary and as vice president of the country's Episcopal Conference. He speaks Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese and has held Peruvian nationality for the past ten years. Appointed cardinal in 2023, he is a man close to the tenets of Pope Francis. “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus Papam! (“I announce to you with great joy: We have a Pope!”)”, proclaimed, following custom, the protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, Dominique Mamberti, from the central Balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the Cardinal Protodeacon. “Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Robertum Franciscum Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinale Prevost, qui sibi nomen imposuit Leo XIV (“Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord, Lord Robert Francis Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Prevost, who has taken the name of Leo XIV"), he added. Biography The son of Louis Marius Prevost, of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martínez, of Spanish descent, the new Pontiff spent his childhood and adolescence in the United States, studying first at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers and then at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. He received his training at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, graduating in Theology. At the age of 27, his superiors sent him to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). He was ordained a priest in Rome on June 19, 1982, at the Augustinian College of Saint Monica by Monsignor Jean Jadot, Pro-President of the Pontifical Council for Non-Christians, currently the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. Prevost earned his licentiate in 1984, and the following year, while preparing his doctoral thesis, he was sent to the Augustinian mission of Chulucanas, Piura, Peru (1985-1986). The following year, he joined the mission of Trujillo, also in Peru, as director of the common formation project for Augustinian aspirants to the vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos, and Apurímac. For eleven years, he held the positions of prior of the community (1988-1992), director of formation (1988-1998), and master of the professed (1992-1998). He also served in the Archdiocese of Trujillo as judicial vicar (1989-1998) and professor of Canon, Patristic, and Moral Law at the "San Carlos y San Marcelo" major seminary. At the same time, he was also entrusted with the pastoral care of Our Lady Mother of the Church, later established as a parish with the name of St. Rita (1988-1999), on the city's poor outskirts. He served as parish administrator of Our Lady of Montserrat from 1992 to 1999. In 1999, he was elected Prior Provincial of the Augustinian Province of "Mother of Good Counsel" in Chicago. Two and a half years later, at the Ordinary General Chapter of the Order of St. Augustine, his brothers elected him Prior General, confirming him for a second term in 2007. In October 2013, he returned to his Augustinian province in Chicago and served as Director of Formation at St. Augustine Convent, as First Councilor, and as Provincial Vicar. These positions he held until Pope Francis appointed him, on November 3, 2014, apostolic administrator of the Peruvian diocese of Chiclayo and concurrently titular bishop of Sufar. On November 7, he entered the diocese in the presence of Apostolic Nuncio James Patrick Green, who ordained him bishop just over a month later, on December 12, at St. Mary's Cathedral. His episcopal motto is "In Illo uno unum," words that Saint Augustine spoke in a sermon, the Exposition on Psalm 127, to explain that "although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one." On September 26, 2015, he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo by the Argentine Pontiff, and in March 2018, he was elected Second Vice President of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference. In 2019, Pope Francis included him among the members of the Congregation for the Clergy and the following year among those of the Congregation for Bishops. In 2020, on April 15, he also received the papal appointment as apostolic administrator of the Peruvian diocese of Callao. On January 30, 2023, the Pope called him to Rome as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, promoting him to archbishop. In the Consistory of September 30 of the same year, he was proclaimed a cardinal by the Pope, who assigned him the deaconry of Saint Monica. Prevost took office on 28 January 2024 and, as head of the dicastery, participated in Pope Francis' final apostolic journeys and in the first and second sessions of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality, held in Rome from 4 to 29 October 2023 and from 2 to 27 October 2024 respectively. During his predecessor's final hospitalization at the "Gemelli" Polyclinic, Prevost presided over the rosary for Francis' health on 3 March in St. Peter's Square.

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