After the long-awaited white smoke, these were the words of the Cardinal Dean who, at the end of the conclave, announced to the people of God the election of our new pontiff.
With great joy we, the friars of the Pontifical Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, greet the new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV We support him in our prayers for his mission of peace, love and service to the Church and the world.
These are the words of the Rector, Father Antonio Ramina:
“From the Pontifical Basilica of St. Anthony, we friars, in communion with the countless friends of Saint Anthony, pilgrims and faithful scattered throughout the world, give thanks to the Lord for the gift of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.
Let us pray for him, for his ministry, that he may be sustained by the light of the Holy Spirit and may find in God's people a readiness to be guided on the paths of Gospel and Charity.
As St. Anthony has always taught us, Gospel and Charity will remain the two “pillars” on which our lives as believers in Jesus Christ rest. We therefore entrust our new pope to the intercession of Saint Anthony so that as a good and solicitous father he may guide us on this path, already marked out by Pope Francis in a clear and decisive way: only from the love of the Gospel and of Charity that we show each other can seeds of peace develop for all – that peace that we have been confidently invoking for so long and that, we are certain, will also be a priority for Pope Leo XIV”