Diocese of Chichester

Bishop Martin said today

"With Christians throughout the world, we welcome with great joy the announcement of the election of Pope Leo XIV. This is a moment of celebration and renewal for the Roman Catholic Church. It is also good news for all Christians.

"Pope Francis showed how the Pope can be an accessible and humble ambassador for the whole Church. We pray that God will give Pope Leo XIV the insight, wisdom and courage to continue the work of nurturing and encouraging Christian faith in the daily lives of ordinary people, a humane dimension of faith that reveals the compassion of God for all people.

"We give thanks for the prayerful work of the cardinals who have been guided by God to identify Pope Leo XIV as the new Bishop of Rome.

"As the successor of St Peter, one of the first disciples of Jesus Christ, Pope Leo XIV will face the structural challenges that confront every global institution today. Building consensus around the inheritance of faith will be central to his ministry. We assure him of our prayers for that serious undertaking, as we respond together in our own age to the challenging question that Jesus asked Peter: ‘Do you love me?’ "