American Robert Francis Prevost was elected on Thursday as Pope Francis' successor. According to Thurfjell, the Catholic Church has been somewhat divided and it is now the new pope's job to act as a unifying force.
Now it's about uniting the enormous organization with 1.4 billion members, says Thurfjell.
Within the Catholic Church, there are different camps that want to go either in a more conservative direction or open up to social issues.
Then it's about uniting the different factions and then you need a diplomat and listener. Someone who has connections to both the northern and southern hemispheres.
Unexpected with an American
Robert Francis Prevost – whose papal name will be Leo XIV – was born in the USA but is a Peruvian citizen. David Thurfjell that the papal election may also have to do with developments in the USA.
Maybe an American can be a contact towards the American society.
That the election fell on an American pope had probably not many believed, says Helena D'Arcy, editor-in-chief of Catholic Magazine.
An unexpected but very pleasant choice, she says.
Broad experience
According to D'Arcy, he has very long and broad experience in Latin America where he has been a bishop. He has also had long experience of being the head of the Augustinian Order for twelve years from 2001 to 2013.
In addition, he has been prefect for the dicastery for bishops in the Roman Curia since 2023, according to D'Arcy.
He has unusually broad experience, also geographically.
What makes the election fall on Robert Francis Prevost and what kind of pope he will become, D'Arcy cannot yet answer.
It's not just the experience, you should also have something to bring.
