Habemus papam! Yes, we have a Pope, and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas are grateful for the presence of the Holy Spirit among the College of Cardinals and offer our prayers and support as Pope Leo XIV assumes his ministry of Gospel and Church leadership.
“It is my hope that in his pastoral approach, our new Pope speaks truth to the powerful and, in his of style of living, models the lifestyle and concerns of the powerless,” Sister Susan Sanders, president of the leadership team of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, said.
“I also hope he commits to thinking broadly about new and significant wants to incorporate the perspectives and skills of many more women in Vatican and local diocesan leadership positions. Such an approach would be encouraging to all of us who hold the hope for greater synodality in our Church.”
We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide Pope Leo with wisdom and understanding, and we pray also that the Holy Father will, as his predecessor before him, be a prophetic voice for God’s creation, continue to reach out to our sisters and brothers on the peripheries—migrants, those living in poverty, and LGBTQ individuals—and expand the ministerial role of women in our Church. In this Jubilee Year, we join with Catholics across the world in accompanying Pope Leo as Pilgrims of Hope.