Pray for the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV

The newly elected pope, Robert Francis Prevost, has chosen the name Leo XIV. How will you pray for the new pope, and how did you hear about the election?

Shortly after noon Eastern today, white smoke was seen from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, and the announcement was made a little more than an hour later that the new pope, Robert Francis Prevost, has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV.

The pope was born in 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, and has dual citizenship in the USA and Peru. An Augustinian friar, he spent many years as a missionary and later a bishop in Peru. Most recently, he served under Pope Francis as prefect for the Dicastery of Bishops. You can learn more about Pope Leo XIV at CollegeOfCardinalsReport.com.

How Will You Pray for the New Pope?

Several years ago, a priest encouraged me to pray five Hail Marys each day for these intentions:

• for the pope
• for the bishop of my diocese
• for the priest and deacons in my parish
• for the people of my parish
• for vocations to the priesthood and religious life

Do you regularly pray for the pope?

If so, how do you include the pope in your prayers? If not, how can you make a plan to do that in the future?

How Did You Hear About the Papal Election?

I didn't see the smoke when I learned that a new pope had been elected at the end of the noon Mass in my parish. I'd turned my phone to airplane mode when I entered the church, but during Mass I heard some chimes and dings from other cell phones, and as the priest left the sanctuary after Mass, someone approached him and whispered a message that stopped Father in his tracks.

"I heard that they've seen white smoke," Father reported. "Let's all pray a Hail Mary for the new pope."

Everyone stopped gathering their things to pray together before hurrying home to turn on the TV.

Besides watching TV, I was fielding text messages from family and friends as well as conversations on social media. Chatting with Catholic Mom founder Lisa Hendey, I noted that I found out about the election at the end of Mass. She replied, "Best place to be!"

By the time Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the balcony, I was back at my desk watching the livestream from CatholicTV and messaging with other members of the Catholic Mom team as we listened to the new pope address the faithful.

Your Turn! 

Leave a comment telling us about the way you pray for the Holy Father and how you learned about his election.

Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2025 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images: screenshots from RelevantRadio.com