The Holy Spirit Shocked the World

“And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.” Romans 8:27

I was in front of my computer when my mother called me to say there was white smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel chimney. My reply was: “Already?” I ran and turned on the television. The next hour was filled with speculation. “Who could it be?” I was chatting through WhatsApp with different groups of friends, family, and prayer communities. My friends from Spain were predicting that it would be Cardinal Pietro Parolin from Italy. I thought the next Pope would be European. We were all wrong.

When Cardinal Dominique Mamberti walked out to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and announced in Latin the name of the new Pope, I only understood when he said: “Leone Decimus Quartus.” I told my husband, “I think he picked the name Leo the Fourteenth.” But I completely missed the name of the elected cardinal. Right away, my Spanish friends messaged me, “Estadounidenseeee” (American). I could not believe it. And just like me, most of the world was in shock.

Right before the conclave, I had watched Martha MacCallum’s interview of Cardinal Timothy Dolan (which I mentioned in my previous article “The Next Pope has Already Been Chosen”). When Cardinal Dolan was asked if he thought that there could ever be a Pope from the United States, he replied: “There is a wisdom that the successor of St. Peter should not be too closely tied to major powers because he has to be extraordinarily impartial. He has to be a source of reconciliation. So you could never be thought of as trying to represent a particular power block… There is a wisdom in somebody from a more neutral place.” Therefore, I never expected, at least in this election, that the Pope would come from the United States. But the Holy Spirit shocked the world.

I have spent the last two days reading about our new Pope, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, and thus far, I like him a lot. He has been described by those closest to him as “someone who’s there to serve.” Peggy Wurtz, who went to Catholic school with Pope Leo, said, “There isn’t a bad thing you can say about him. He is pure, pure, this guy was destined to be Pope.” His brother John Prevost said that he thinks his brother will follow in Pope Francis’ footsteps, working for the underprivileged. Pope Leo has a missionary focus, and that is what our world needs today.

My first impression of him gave me a good vibe. The eyes are the window to the soul, and there is a gentle quality about him that is reflected in his eyes. Pope Leo’s eyes teared up when he stepped out onto the balcony for the very first time as Pope, and the crowd shouted repeatedly “Viva il Papa.” His first words to the crowd were “Peace be with you.” He also said: "Together we must try to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges and always dialogues, that is always open to receiving everyone like this square with its arms open to everyone, everyone in need."

Even though Pope Leo was born in the United States, the Vatican News referred to him not as the first Pope from the United States, but as the second Pope from the Americas. The reason is that he has spent most of the last forty years away from the United States, mostly in Peru. He even chose to speak in Italian and Spanish, not English, in his first message to the world.

I have seen pictures of our new Pope walking through flooded neighborhoods in muddy boots. This shows me that he will be a shepherd that will walk among his sheep, who will visit the sick and marginalized, who will help those in need, and who will cry with those in pain. The name he picked, Leo XIV, says a lot about his mission. The last Pope named Leo saw demons attacking our Church, and he wrote the prayer to St. Michael Archangel. I don’t think this is a coincidence, since our new Leo said in his first message: “Evil will not prevail.”

The Holy Spirit is never wrong, and He has chosen wisely. Even though I’m still in shock that he chose a Pope born in the United States, my heart is full of hope and joy for this new Pope. May St. Michael protect him, and may the Holy Spirit guide him.

Copyright © 2025 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.