Rev. James Miracky, S.J., Ph.D., vice president for mission integration at Saint Peter’s University, shared this message with the community about the election of Pope Leo XIV on May 9, 2025:
Along with the many Catholic educational institutions around the world, Saint Peter’s University welcomes with great joy and hope the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV, to leadership of the Catholic Church. While making history as the first pope born in the United States, Pope Leo is truly a global citizen, having served as a missionary in Peru for over twenty years and was granted citizenship there in 2015. As a pastor and bishop among the people of Peru, he established a great love for those most in need and became a strong advocate for human rights and justice for all.
A graduate of Villanova University and member of the Augustinian religious order, as well as a professor of canon law in the seminary, Pope Leo has a strong appreciation for Catholic religious life and the kind of faith-based education that is central to our mission at Saint Peter’s. Pope Leo brings other strong administrative experience to his new role, having served as Prior General of the Augustinian Order for twelve years and, most recently, as prefect for the Dicastery of Bishops, a Vatican position which oversees the selection of new bishops and formation of new dioceses.
In his choice of the name Leo, our new Pope traces his identity to the most recent Pope of that name, Leo XIII, who is considered the Father of modern Catholic social teaching, from which we at Saint Peter’s draw inspiration for much of our work. His 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum” (“Of new things”) lays out Catholic teaching on still timely issues such as: the rights of workers, the dangers of unrestricted capitalism and communism, the purpose of government to serve the common good, and God’s special charity towards the lowly and oppressed.
In his opening remarks to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square yesterday, Pope Leo began with a greeting of peace “among all people…in every nation and throughout the world,” and he invoked God, who “loves us all,” to “help us to build bridges through dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people, always at peace.” I cannot think of a better way to articulate what our mission and community at Saint Peter’s are all about.
Joining with the global community of believers and supporters of the Catholic Church, we proclaim, “Viva il Papa Leo!” May he, like his predecessor Pope Francis, inspire us in our Jesuit, Catholic mission to the service of faith and the promotion of reconciliation and justice.
