Archdiocese of Toronto official glad to see Pope Leo 'leading with peace'
'Leading with love, leading with acceptance, is something that, hopefully, we model as people of faith'
Pope Leo XIV's first words when he greeted his followers at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, were: "Peace be with all of you."
For Neil MacCarthy, that's a positive sign of what's to come.
MacCarthy is the director of communications of the Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, and was in St. Peter's Square outside the Vatican in Rome on Thursday when the new Pope emerged.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, who spent much of career as a missionary in Peru, became the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday. Originally from Chicago, the dark horse candidate is the church's first North American pope.
"It's amazing just to be around the energy and the excitement," he told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "Watching history unfold is a beautiful thing."
Here is more of MacCarthy's conversation with Köksal.
The moment that Pope Leo walked out onto that balcony, the first American Pope, the first North American Pope ... it wasn't a cheer right away. It was an interesting response in those initial moments. How did it feel to you?
For most people, it's difficult to see. And then also ... he was certainly probably on some experts' top 10 or 15 list in terms of potential papabile, but a lot of people who are from many different countries in the world wouldn't necessarily recognize him.
The same thing kind of happened when Pope Francis came out on the balcony. And soon you come to learn more about them and get to know them. But that initial moment is probably a little bit of shock.
Pope Francis was seen as a big departure. What about Pope Leo? Will this Pope be a continuation, do you think, of ... Pope Francis's work and the kind of legacy he leaves behind?
It's always difficult to make the assessment, of course, one hour into the papacy. But the pope is different as pope than they are sometimes as cardinal.
I think this Pope has a reputation, and probably had the support of the College of Cardinals, because he had some of the qualities they were looking for.
He was born as an American and has spent most of his life as a missionary in Peru and other parts of the world. So he has that global experience and that outreach to those who are on the margins.
He's also someone who's had the experience of being in leadership as a religious order superior and having the roles of responsibility in that sense.
And then also in the area of governance, the Vatican, he's worked the last couple of years as the head of … the office that is responsible for recommending to the Pope the bishops that will be selected from around the world.
I think in terms of his pastoral tones, as we would say as Catholics, [he's] very much in the spirit of Francis, that idea of reaching out to the margins and those who feel isolated.
Why do you think this conclave chose an American pope at this moment in history?
I would imagine that if you ask most of the cardinals, they would say it wasn't about geography. It was about the person who they felt best to be the successor to Pope Francis and the successor to the first Pope Peter.
An Italian newspaper described him as "the least American of Americans." Somebody who spent a lot of time outside of the United States.
He's known for his kind of humility. We saw that even on the balcony. He was almost, you know, very quiet and meek. Not, you know, "rah rah rah" kind of thing.
He's very emotional too, visibly.
Yeah, visibly emotional. There was a reason the Pope goes to the Room of Tears to get their vestments on for the first time. And they call it that because the magnitude of the papacy hits them at that moment.
Only one of the 133 cardinals does not go home. So Pope Leo XIV will not be going home. He's now the Pope and will be for the rest of his life.
You're not the only Canadian there, certainly. We spoke earlier this week [to] Gemma Hickey … a sexual abuse survivor who's pushing for change. And they're there with others, and they were making inroads, they said, with Pope Francis and are hoping for change this time around. What would you say to people like Gemma Hickey who've gone through this and are hoping against hope that there might be change and recognition for them in a way that there hasn't been in the past?
Well, I think Pope Francis has demonstrated to us the whole spirit of reconciliation in his papacy — his visit to Canada, the new chapter that has been developed in relations with Indigenous Peoples, this time he spent here at the Vatican meeting with them and hearing their stories.
Obviously we'll have to see how this new Pope lives his ministry out, but all indications are that it would be very much a continuation of the pontificate of Francis, the idea of the church as a field hospital, reaching out to those who feel isolated, marginalized, hurt.
And Pope Leo's first words. "Peace" among those words. How did it feel for you to hear that at this moment?
We're in a troubled world that has so much conflict, even in the last few days as they entered the conclave — India, Pakistan, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, so many parts of the world.
So there's so much division. I think leading with peace, leading with love, leading with acceptance is something that, hopefully, we model as people of faith, people who are called to model the example of Jesus Christ.
I pray that Pope Leo XIV will embrace that. I have no doubt that he will.
Interview produced by Leslie Amminson. Q&A edited for length and clarity.
