Habemus papam: US cardinal elected Pope Leo XIV Cardinal Robert Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, has been elected the 267th pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. The 69-year-old is the first North American to be elected pope. On 8 May 2025, the white smoke poured from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel at 6.07pm Rome time (2.07am AEST) and a few minutes later the bells of St Peter’s Basilica began to ring. Pope Leo's first words to the crowd at St Peter's were: 'Peace be with you. My dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God’s flock', he said, praying that Christ’s peace would enter people’s hearts, their families and 'the whole earth'. The peace of the risen Lord, he said, is 'a peace that is unarmed and disarming'. Signalling strong continuity with the papacy of Pope Francis, Pope Leo told the crowd that God 'loves all of us unconditionally' and that the Church must be open to everyone. To read the full article, visit the CathNews website. Image source: CNS/Lola Gomez
Youth Festival welcomed by bishops The 2025 Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) has been hailed as an opportunity to encounter Jesus and grow the next generation of leaders. Representatives from the festival gave a presentation to the plenary meeting of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. The ACYF is a three-day event bringing together thousands of young people from across Australia. To be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 30 November to 2 December, the festival will include talks, prayer experiences, Mass, workshops, forums, live concerts, games, a justice activity centre and an interactive expo. Archbishop of Melbourne Peter A Comensoli said the festival was about four things: growth, hope, confidence and leadership. ‘I’ve seen extraordinary growth in faith and belonging amongst a good number of those who went [to the previous festival in Perth],’ he said. ‘Often this is their first experience of a faith encounter in a way that says to them “I belong to this. I belong in this Christian faith and the Church.”’ He said many young people from Melbourne who went to the Perth festival had come back with a sense of ‘missionary energy’ and taken on youth leadership roles. To read the full article, visit the Melbourne Catholic website.