Religious Leaders in Mauritius Laud Election of Pope Leo XIV as “a moment of spiritual renewal with global significance”

“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Catholic community, under the guidance of Pope Leo XIV, in the service of national unity, interreligious dialogue, and the spiritual upliftment of our people,” the faith-based leaders in Mauritius say.

On May 8 evening, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where the 133 Cardinal Electors had been gathering since the previous day for the 2025 Conclave. 

The white smoke signalled that the 133 Cardinal Electors had elected the successor of St. Peter to take over from the late Pope Francis, who passed on on April 21 and was laid to rest on April 26 in his “beloved” Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major as he had explained in his testament.

When the new Pontiff, who has taken the Papal name Leo XIV appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he addressed the people of God present in person and all those, who were watching around the world, offering his first blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) as the new Roman pontiff.

In his first address as Pope, the 69-year-old American-born member of the Order of St. Augustine (OSA) asked the people of God to help the Church build bridges through dialogue and encounter, working for unity and peace.

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The newly elected Pontiff has explained his choice of Papal name, noting that Pope Leo XIII “addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution” with his May 1891 Encyclical Letter on capital and labor, Rerum Novarum.

“In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labor,” Pope Leo XIV said.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.