Christendom College celebrates the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.
“With deep gratitude and joyful hearts, we at Christendom College join the faithful around the world in celebrating the election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV—the first American Pope and now the 267th successor to St. Peter,” says Christendom College President George A. Harne, Ph.D.
“This is a moment of immense historical and spiritual significance. That a son of the American Church has been called to serve as the Vicar of Christ is a powerful sign of the Church’s universality and vitality. In choosing the name Leo, His Holiness places his pontificate in continuity with a line of courageous and doctrinally steadfast popes—most notably Pope Leo the Great and Pope Leo XIII—whose teachings and leadership shaped the Church in times of both trial and renewal.
Pope Leo XIV brings with him a deep Augustinian spirituality, a pastoral heart formed in missionary lands, and a steady hand for the challenges of our time. His election fills us with hope that the Church will meet the present age not with fear, but with faith, charity, and clarity.
At Christendom College, where our mission is to ‘restore all things in Christ,’ we pledge our filial devotion and earnest prayers for our new Holy Father. May his reign be marked by truth, renewal, and a deeper turning of hearts to the Kingship of Christ.”
Christendom’s juniors currently studying in Rome were blessed to be in St. Peter’s Square for the election of Pope Leo XIV, joining thousands in celebrating the announcement and receiving his Urbi et Orbi blessing.
Christendom has shared a close relationship with the papacy since its founding in 1977. Christendom’s second president, Dr. Damian Fedoryka, brought the college into contact with Pope St. John Paul II, who later told college founder Dr. Warren Carroll that “Christendom is a great work for the Church.”
The college also enjoyed the support of Pope Benedict XVI, who, as then-Cardinal Ratzinger, served as Chairman of Christendom College’s 25th Anniversary Honorary Dinner Committee. He also blessed the cornerstone for the college’s Christ the King Chapel. President Emeritus Dr. Timothy O’Donnell was likewise blessed to meet with Pope Francis in 2014 while serving with the Pontifical Council for the Family.
Please join the entire Christendom community in praying for Pope Leo XIV and his papacy.
Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis. Sancte Leo Magne, ora pro nobis.