I looked for a video of our new pope that will help us hear his voice better.  I didn't watch the whole video above, but you might be amused by what Pope Leo says at 6:50 into the video.

     I do recommend reading a translation of what he said in his speech to journalists.  See it here.  You can get a sense of the themes he's already emphasizing.  He talked about peace and unity.  He also talked about truth and charity.

     Pope Leo is likely the first pope to have a degree in math.  See this article about how this could help Pope Leo build bridges between faith and reason.

     See the video below for evidence of Pope Leo rooting for the Chicago White Sox.

     Pope Leo is an Augustinian which is a religious order that is both contemplative and active.  Again, this is another way that Pope Leo can build bridges between those who are more contemplative and those who are more active.

     Pope Leo answered some questions from journalists.  He's working on a trip to Turkey that Pope Francis had already been working on.  It's to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.  Pope Leo doesn't think he'll be back to the United States anytime soon.  Before the conclave, he had planned to go to Portugal tomorrow for the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.  Plans have changed because the cardinals elected him pope.

     Let's pray for our new pontiff (bridge builder) even as we get to know him better.  We can pray that through his papal ministry, we will come to know Jesus better.

God love you,

Fr. Jim