Pope Leon XIV, congratulated by leaders from all over the world: “Emotion and hope” in Warsaw, Kiev, Tel Aviv and Paris peace calls
Leaders from all over the world congratulated the new Sovereign Pontiff of the Catholic Church on Thursday, Pope Leon XIV, Agerpres reports.
Polish President Andrzej Duda, also congratulated the American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost for his choice as a new pope and stressed that Poland is living this day with great emotion and hope, being always united with a special connection with the Catholic Church, EFE reports.
“From the depths of my heart, in the name of the Polish nation and in my personal name, I congratulate his sanctity Pope Leon XIV on the occasion of his choice,” Duda wrote on his account on the social network X.
“This is a deeply emotional moment for the community of the Catholic Church and the whole world,” Polish president said.
“In Poland this choice of the new pope was lived with great emotion and hope, as a nation that, as St. John Paul II mentioned, was united with the Church of Christ and with the Holy See through a special connection of spiritual unity for a thousand years of history,” he stressed.
The head of the Polish state has expressed the availability of his country to continue to strengthen these unique links in the names of common values, responsibility for the common good and to strengthen peace in the world.
In Poland, this event was followed with great emotion, because about two thirds of the Polish population is declared Catholic.
The Colombian government welcomed the choice of American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as a new pope and hated his pastoral mission.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government of Colombia, congratulates the Holy See for the election of Leon XIV as a new Sovereign Pontiff,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We hope that our bilateral relationships will continue to consolidate around the desire for peace in Colombia and in the world,” it is added to the message to the Vatican.
Robert Francis Prevost, who also holds the Peruvian citizenship and was chairman of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in January 2023, was elected on Thursday, on the second day of his conclave, to succeed Pope Francis.
Reactions from western Europe
Germany's new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also congratulated shortly after his choice at the Vatican. “Through your function, you offer hope and direction to millions of believers around the world in these difficult times,” he said in a press release quoted by AFP.
The prime minister of Spain, the socialist Pedro Sanchez, said he hopes that Pope Leon XIV will contribute to “strengthening the defense of human rights”.
“May his pontificate contribute to the consolidation of the dialogue and the defense of human rights in a world that needs hope and unity,” wrote Sanchez on the social network X within minutes after announcing the choice of the new pontiff.
The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, expressed his “deep joy” on Thursday the choice of American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as a new Pope and said he has “the fullest hope in his word and in his teaching.”
After sending a congratulatory message to the new Sovereign Pontiff in a statement broadcast by the Portuguese Presidency, Rebelo de Sousa said that “Petru's successor is the pastor of a vast community, in which there are countless Portuguese.”
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his confidence that Leon XIV's pontificate “will bring peace and hope” into the world.
The choice of the new Pope is a “historical moment for the Catholic Church and its millions of believers,” Macron wrote in a message on X.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Thursday addressed “sincere congratulations” to Pope Leon XIV, praising his commitment to peace.
“We hope that his pontificate will be guided by wisdom and power, while leading the Catholic community and inspires the world through its commitment to peace and dialogue,” said DNA von der Leyen, quoted by AFP.
Messages from Israel, Ukraine and Russia
The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, encouraged the new Pope to “strengthen the friendship between Jews and Christians.”
“I congratulate Cardinal Robert Prevost, freshly elected Pope Leon XIV, to assume this sacred and monumental responsibility: the first American Pope,” Herzog wrote on social networks.
In his message to the new Pope, Herzog hopes to “strengthen the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land” and wants the papacy of the new Pontiff “to be one of bridges and understanding between all beliefs and peoples”.
“I hope we will attend the immediate and safe return of the hostages left in Gaza and a new era of peace in our region,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski, also congratulated the new Pope, from whom he hopes to continue to offer “moral and spiritual support” that Ukraine has already received from the Vatican during Francis's papacy.
“Congratulations to his sanctity Pope Leon XIV for his choice at the throne of Saint Peter and for the beginning of his pontificate,” Zelenski wrote on his social networks, expressing the gratitude of Ukraine for the consistent position of the Vatican in supporting international law, condemning Russian aggression and civil law.
“At this decisive moment for our country, we look forward to the Vatican's continuous moral and spiritual support for Ukraine's efforts to restore justice and get a straight peace,” Zelenski said.
The new Pope was also congratulated by the presidents of the Baltic states Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, also congratulated the new Pope Leon XIV, declaring himself convinced that a constructive cooperation will continue between Moscow and the Vatican.
“I am sure that the constructive dialogue and the interaction established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to develop on the basis of the Christian values that unite us,” Putin said, in a congratulatory message published by Kremlin.
