While then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was considered a long shot among the bishops who were thought to be on the shortlist of becoming a new pope, a former Vatican official, who worked for Pope Francis and knew Prevost, said he wasn’t surprised at all about the selection.
Daniel Gallagher, a former Latin secretary to Pope Benedict XVI and Francis and a current professor of literature at Ralston College, remembered Pope Leo XIV as a soft-spoken and reserved intellectual who would “fit the bill precisely.”
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WATCH HERE“(When the cardinals were interviewed,) they did say they wanted a pastor and a missionary,” Gallagher said.
He added the selection of Pope Leo created a strong sense of continuity with the Church’s commitment to helping refugees, the disenfranchised and impoverished communities.
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SIGN UP “I do remember that (he) made a point about the importance of making immigration a higher priority in the Church's diplomatic activity,” Gallagher recalled attending a meeting with then-Cardinal Prevost.
The new pope's reserved personality also reflected in the time he spent in making his first speech from the main central loggia balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
“I also noticed that he limited himself with the time that he spoke, which is another symbolic thing.” Gallagher said. “In other words, he wants to be to the point and not be long-winded.”
An Augustinian missionary, who met Pope Leo in 2014, also described the new pope as a good listener.
“He’s a man of heart who is open, kind, very humble, very down to earth.” Fr. Sarfraz Alam, who spoke at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in downtown LA, said. “He listens and opens his heart.”
While some American Catholics may be disappointed that the new pope only spoke in Italian and Spanish in his first public address, the first American pope will use his mother tongue when it’s necessary.
“I think he's going to capitalize on English to do the kinds of interviews and diplomatic work,” Gallagher predicted. “Someone who can speak English fluently and doesn't have to be so self-conscious about how he speaks, that could be a huge benefit in today's world where English is so prevalent.”
