Welcoming Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV, Credit: NBC News

As we welcome Pope Leo XIV, our hearts are filled with hope that his papacy will carry forward the spirit of radical compassion and justice embodied by Christ and echoed in the lives of so many “crucified peoples of today.” We pray that he will stand boldly with the poor, the migrant, the worker, the unhoused, and the wounded - those too often pushed to the peripheries of both society and the Church. May he center the voices of those who suffer systemic injustice, and in doing so, deepen the Church’s commitment to being not just a refuge, but a radical force for transformation in the world.

For those of us from Chicago, this appointment holds a deep and particular resonance for us. Pope Leo XIV emerges from a City marked by profound resilience, struggle, and solidarity. Chicago is the birthplace of many justice movements that started in parish basements, workplaces, people’s homes, and neighborhoods. To see someone from the Chicagoland area called to the papacy fills us with pride. 

Our hope is that Pope Leo XIV will build upon the legacy of prophetic solidarity shown by his predecessors who were most committed to justice, while breaking new ground in confronting the spiritual and structural roots of inequality. As Catholic and Christian liberation practitioners rooted in both contemplation and action, we long for a Church that is not merely inclusive, but actively liberating - especially for communities historically silenced or sidelined. In the words of Gustavo Gutiérrez, “So you say you love the poor? Name them.” May this be a moment for the Church to speak the names, honor the stories, and walk alongside the oppressed, renewing its mission as a sacrament of justice and mercy—where the Gospel is not just proclaimed in word, but lived in deeds of healing, dignity, and radical love.