DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The Diocese of Dumaguete has expressed their congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on his election as the new head of the Catholic Church.
Dumaguete Bishop Rev. Julito Cortes issued a statement on May 9 following the announcement of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new Catholic supreme pontiff.
Cardinal Prevost, 69, took the name of Leo XIV for his papal name.
“As Pope Leo XIV begins his pontificate, we pray that he may be guided by the Holy Spirit in his mission to shepherd the Church and to promote the teachings of Christ in a world that is ever-changing and often challenged by division and uncertainty,” Cortes said in the statement.
“His dedication to social justice, interfaith dialogue, care for creation, and the promotion of peace resonates with our calling to be true witnesses of Christ’s love in our own communities and to the world,” he added.
Cortes also urged the Catholics in Negros Oriental to pray for the new pope as he navigates his responsibilities as the new head of the Catholic Church, at a time when compassion, unity, and sensitivity to those who are in the peripheries are needed.
Cortes also invited parishes under the supervision of the diocese to offer special prayers and masses for the new pope.
Leo, the first pope from the United States, is the 267th head of the Catholic Church, succeeding Pope Francis who died last month. (RAL/PIA7-Negros Oriental)
