Statement of Fr. Mark Francis, CSV, Provincial on the Election of Pope Leo XIV
Fr. Mark Francis, CSV, Provincial Superior, Province of Chicago, Clerics of St. Viator
Most of the world was very surprised by the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost, OSA as Pope. I was more than surprised. I was alternately shocked and then jubilant that a classmate of mine from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago would be elected to the See of Peter. We maintained contact with each other during the time I was in Rome as Superior General of the Viatorians and he was Prior General of the Augustinians.
I know him to be humble and a good listener, focused on the Gospel and on the poor and disenfranchised. He brings so many gifts to his new ministry! He is a polyglot, speaking 6 languages, and is culturally informed about the US, South America, and Europe. He brings wonderful perspectives to the papacy.
I rejoice with the Church that we have a new Pope, and I am grateful that such a good, holy man was chosen to shepherd the flock of Christ.
Fr. Mark Francis, CSV, Provincial Superior of the Province of Chicago (which includes the United States and Colombia), was classmates with Pope Leo XIV, then Robert Prevost, OSA, at Catholic Theological Union, a graduate school and theology and ministry in Chicago co-sponsored by the Viatorians, Augustinians, and several other men’s and women’s religious communities. They graduated together from there in 1982. Fr. Francis also overlapped with Fr. Prevost when they both served in leadership roles in Rome, where Fr. Francis lived while Superior General of the Viatorians from 2000 to 2012.
Fr. Francis has been sharing his recollections and reflections on his connection with Pope Leo XIV on several news programs, and we are delighted to share his reflections below.
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Fr. Francis reflected on Pope Leo XIV’s Chicago ties, particularly his time at Catholic Theological Union when Fr. Francis was his classmate:
“How Chicago Shaped Pope Leo XIV” by Fr. Mark Francis, CSV
Credit: Time.com
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Fr. Francis’ reflections on CBS News (also linked here as video and quoted in this article) come from the day BEFORE Pope Leo XIV’s election:
“He’s not a showboat. He’s very calm, extremely intelligent, and extremely compassionate… He’s a person who’s very sensitive and is concerned to allow everyone to have a voice,” Fr. Francis said of Pope Leo XIV.
“Coming together as a Christian community, we’re best able to read the signs of the times and figure out what we need to do. It would be similar in terms of basic goals, and the style he’d bring to the papacy would be calm, steady, direct guidance,” Fr. Francis said, then only imagining what he might be like as pope.
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The day of Pope Leo XIV’s election, Fr. Francis spoke with CBS News again.
Asked what he’d say to Pope Leo XIV, Fr. Francis said, “God bless you! The Holy Spirit is working.”
“I’m just very happy for the Church, and I’m very respectful of him for taking on this kind of responsibility, because it’s an awesome role and an awesome burden he’s taking on. When you know someone who has done all the things Pope Leo has done, and you know them from the beginning, you just have to think, ‘it’s simply amazing.’ And God’s grace is eminent, right here, working within us. I’m joyous and overwhelmed,” Fr. Francis said.
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Fr. Francis appeared on ABC News with Linsey Davis, where he shared, “Our first encounter was back in 1977 at Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, and we were in the same theological reflection group. I got to know Pope Leo at that point, and I was amazed at someone who is low-key, very thorough, very focused. He was an extremely good listener. And he would always come back to our theological reflections with very good commentaries on what he had experienced, how he had dealt with people, and how he saw God in them. He is someone who is there to serve, to listen. I’m still floored and amazed at the results and very happy – mainly because this humble, good person is going to be leading the Church.”
Fr. Mark adds that he believes he’ll likely follow much of Pope Francis’ direction and continue the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching, largely begun by Pope Leo XIII. And Fr. Francis looks forward to the opportunity to receive him warmly in Chicago on a potential future visit.
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Fr. Francis shared some reflections on Pope Leo XIV with the New York Times, where he said, “He’s not a grandstander…He is a very balanced, measured kind of person who deals well with crisis in a certain sense. It doesn’t fluster him. He thinks things through and offers very stable leadership.” Read “Pope Leo XIV, the First American Pontiff, Took a Global Route to the Top Post” at NYTimes.com.
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Fr. Francis spoke with ABC News Live about his time with Pope Leo XIV in seminary and as congregational leaders in Rome.
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Fr. Francis appeared on CNN’s Out Front with Erin Burnett, where he shared, “He’s not a showboat kind of person. He is a calm person who is not a careerist, is not just seeking a promotion – but someone who’s there to serve.”
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Fr. Francis reflected on his relationship with Pope Leo XIV to Joshua McElwee of Reuters. He said, “He was always friendly and warm and remained a voice of common sense and practical concerns for the Church’s outreach to the poor… He has a wry sense of humour, but was not someone who sought the limelight.”
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Pope Leo XIV is an alumnus of Viatorian-sponsored Catholic Theological Union, where Fr. Francis was formerly president. Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, current president, offered reflections from the campus, that were part of a CNN report: