West Midlands Catholic leaders speak of 'great rejoicing' and 'wonderful news' at appointment of new Pope

Just after 5pm UK time on Thursday, white smoke billowed out of the temporary smokestack installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, heralding the news that a new Pope had been elected.

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Robert Francis Prevost became the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter, taking on the name of Leo XIV, when he was elected on Thursday and cheered by thousands at the Vatican.

He is the first American to fill the role of Pope, but also seen as a cardinal from Latin America because of the many years he spent as a missionary in Peru, and the appointment of the 69-year-old has been met warmly by Catholic priests and leaders in the West Midlands.

Father Craig Fullard of the St John Henry Newman parish, which covers churches in Bilston, Darlaston, Willenhall and Wolverhampton, said it was a day of great rejoicing and spoke about what the new Pope would bring to the role.

He said: "We've been given a new Holy Father for the church to guide and to lead us.

"The church is constantly evolving and moving forward, journeying together, and we will continue to do that under our new Holy Father and he will bring his own gifts to the Petrine Ministry.

"He will be listening to the other cardinals and to the people of God and he spoke last night about being a bridge builder, so I think that will be very much a theme of his pontificate.

"We trust that the Holy Spirit has given us the Pope that we need, just as we were given Pope Francis and each pope brings his own gifts to the office and he won't be another Benedict or John Paul the Second, he will be Pope Leo XIV and he will bring the gifts that he asks to that work."

Over in Cannock at St Mary's Catholic Church, Father Peter Weatherby said he was delighted at the news of the new Pope and spoke about the type of person Pope Leo XIV was.

He said: "His background and his ministry have been very much in the developing world, like Pope Francis's was and he's done lots of charitable work with the church in Peru and spoken out many times in defence of very poor people, street people and so on.

"He has the profile of challenging and improving governments in their attitudes towards the marginalised and his background is principally from those who might have been migrants, so he's someone who very much challenges the rich countries in their attitude to the poor.

"One of the things he has done is take the name Leo, with the last Pope Leo living in the 19th century, and he was a very important figure in the history of Catholic social teaching, including human rights, and put that together in the modern world.

"He's going to be drawing from the depths of tradition and bring his own work to it as Leo XIII had an enormous amount of impact in terms of teaching about trade unions and the rights of workers and the right to a fair wage.

"The world has changed radically in the last 140 years, so the new Pope will draw on that history, but also present it in a new way."

In Walsall, Father Jobin Kollappallil from St Mary's Church said that he felt blessed to have a new Pope and said he hoped he would be a bridge builder between God and people.

He said: "The role of Pope is that of supreme pontiff and I hope he will be a bridge developer and builder between God and people, between people and nations and he will lead and guide as a bridge builder.

"Like their simplicity or personal character, characteristics are important, such as Pope Francis with his approach and kindness and mercy, which was very evident during his papalcy, and I believe that Pope Leo looks kind and a very quiet man, so I like his appearance very much."

On behalf of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, Archbishop Bernard Longley released a welcome message to the new Pope.

He said: "I welcome the wonderful news of the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.  

"As he prepared to give us his first blessing as Pope in St Peter’s Square he also gave us a message of joyful encouragement, calling us to be bridge-builders who are the light of Christ in the world.  

"As the first Pope from the United States of America he also remembered the people of Chiclayo in Peru where he had served as bishop until 2023.

"I have just spent the last few days at Buckfast Abbey with all the Bishops of England and Wales as we prayed for the Cardinals in Conclave and as we waited to hear whom the Holy Spirit would identify as the Successor of Peter.  

"It will be a great joy to serve the Church’s mission inspired by the guidance of Pope Leo. 

"All the lay faithful, the Religious and clergy of our Archdiocese are praying for our new Holy Father that he may serve the Church for many years and be richly blessed in his apostolate."