Filipino bishops urge faithful to pray for Pope Leo XIV

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States, appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, May 8, 2025. — Photo by Reuters

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino bishops on Friday asked the faithful to pray for the new pope, Pope Leo XIV, as he leads 1.4 billion Catholics around the world.

The bishops expressed their joy and gratitude to God at the election of Pope Leo XIV after a two-day conclave.

In a statement, Pasig Bishop and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Vice President Mylo Hubert Vergara said that after the world grieved the passing of Pope Francis, “we now embrace Pope Leo XIV with filial affection and prayerful hope.”

Vergara also prayed for the new pope to be granted “strength, wisdom, and a heart like Christ” to perform his duty as the Supreme leader of the Catholic Church.

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“We invite all the faithful to join us in praying for our new Holy Father, that under his guidance, we may continue our pilgrimage of faith as one Church, united in love and hope,” Vergara said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Lingayen-Dagupan Bishop Socrates Vilegas said that the new pope is a “God’s gift to the Church,” calling on the faithful to give Pope Leo XIV a “chance to love us, to teach us and to show us the face of the Lord.”

“Let us look beyond races and nationalities. Let us rise above labels of liberals and conservatives. He is our Pope. We owe him our obedience as we would obey Christ. Let us unite,” Villegas said in a separate statement.

Dumaguete Bishop Julito Cortes also called on prayers that the Holy Spirit will guide the new pope to promote the teachings of the Catholic Church despite a world “challenged by division and uncertainty.”

“Let us support Pope Leo XIV through our prayers, as he navigates the responsibilities of leading the Church in a time when compassion, unity, and sensitivity to those who are in the peripheries are most needed,” Cortes said in a different statement.

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“His dedication to social justice, interfaith dialogue, care for creation, and the promotion of peace resonates with our calling to be true witnesses of Christ’s love in our own communities and to the world,” Cortes added.

Robert Francis Prevost, who takes the name Pope Leo XIV, is the first American pope. Around 133 cardinals around the world, with three Filipino cardinals, participated in the Papal race. /jpv