STATEMENT FROM BISHOP THOMAS DOWD: Bishop Dowd shares his thoughts on the new Pope
Bishop Thomas Dowd says he hopes to meet the new Pope when he travels to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth at the end of July.
He says the new Pope, 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost, from the United States, has chosen the name Pope Leo the 14th, a move he feels is very apt, since the last Pope Leo (the 13th) is considered the first Pope of the modern age.
He adds Pope Leo the 14th was raised in the United States but served much of his ecclesiastical time in South America, so he is optimistic that the new Pope will be a bridge between the modern society and Third World needs.
Bishop Dowd adds that the Pope’s first words calling for a mission of peace hit the nail right on the head, especially with the turmoil in the world today.
Bishop Dowd admits the naming of the new Pope was also a surprise, but is enthusiastic to see what direction he will take in leading the Catholic Church.
He adds he is more than excited to go to Rome this summer with the new Pope having now been elected.
