A family of seagulls — two adults feeding a chick — had gathered by the papal chimney a couple of minutes before white smoke billowed out to announce the election of a new pope. The Holy Spirit is usually represented by a dove, so what to make of this trinity?
In any case, it’s just one small detail in a poignant day. There are already many other portents to sift through.
Habemus papam — we have a pope, as the official Latin declaration goes — and consistent with the Roman Catholic Church’s recent penchant for pontifical surprises, we have our first ever pope from the U.S. Taking the name Leo XIV is Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, born in Chicago and an Augustinian missionary who served in Latin America — specifically the diocese of Chiclayo in Peru. The previous Leo — the 13th — was the pontiff of modern Catholic social action, whose encyclical Rerum Novarum ("New Things”) was the church’s 1891 riposte to socialism and capitalism, upholding the dignity of labor. In his first remarks, the American spoke Italian, Latin and Spanish. Not English. Might he become a foil to Donald Trump?
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.