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I must admit that I didn’t really consider the possibility that a Pope from the United States might be elected. And if I had to bet on an American Pope, the name would certainly not have been that of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, of whom I knew little or nothing.
But the Cardinals have chosen him as the successor of Peter, and for that decision, I can only accept that he is my Bishop and Pope, the Supreme Pastor of the universal Church.
Precisely because I knew so little about him, I have to rely on the first impressions of these early hours. One thing makes me very happy: the fact that he is an Augustinian. Saint Augustine has always been one of my favorite saints, and I deeply love his writings. Then I must say, seeing him appear on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica wearing the mozzetta seemed to me a good sign—a return to a certain decency in form, which is also substance. His speech yesterday, as well as his homily this morning at the Mass in the Sistine Chapel, struck me as very solid. I believe his reaffirmation of the centrality of Christ was a profound signal for all.
I also notice that even the more conservative circles within the Catholic Church are watching this new Pope with attention and curiosity, even though, on the eve of the conclave, he was identified as a candidate of the progressive wing. Perhaps he too will surprise us by bringing a measure of peace and serenity to a divided Church. He seemed to me a gentle and reserved man; I believe he will know how to calm hearts, especially since the word “peace” was the one he repeated most in his speech on the evening of his election.
As a musician, I must rejoice because we finally have a Pope who sings again, and that is something we can only be glad about.
Editor’s note: click the link below to hear Pope Leo chanting the Per Ipsum and the Praeceptis salutaribus moniti at 1:07:17:
Saint Augustine himself used to say that “he who sings well prays twice,” and the same saint wrote beautiful passages about the importance of Christian singing. In his Confessions (Book X, Chapter 33), he reflects:
The delights of the ear held me more tenaciously and subdued me, but You freed and delivered me. Even now I sometimes yield to melodies that accompany Your words when sung with a sweet and skillful voice—not so far as to be held fast, but so that I can rise when I choose. Yet these melodies, when they enter into my soul along with the sacred thoughts they bear, demand a place not unworthy of them. And I struggle to give them their proper place. Sometimes I fear giving them too much honor. Yet I know that, sung in this way, the same holy words move our hearts to deeper, more fervent devotion than if they were not sung; the full range of human emotion finds in voice and song the proper resonance and, I would say, a mysterious, stirring harmony.
I sincerely hope that the new Pope will bring about a spiritual renewal urbi et orbi—for Rome and for the world.
