CHARLOTTE — When Bishop Michael Martin met April 1 with Cardinal Robert Prevost in Rome, he had no idea he was sitting down to talk with a future pope.
On Thursday, Bishop Martin said he is thrilled that the Chicago-born cardinal – now known as Pope Leo XIV – had become the 267th pope. At a press conference at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Charlotte, he called the election “a unique blessing” for Catholics worldwide and in the Diocese of Charlotte.
“I’m very surprised – I never would have dreamt that we would see a pope born in the United States in my lifetime,” Bishop Martin said. “I admit that as I was sitting there watching him walk out onto the loggia, I was very shocked. At the same time, I knew he had been considered, and at least in my dealings with him I felt he certainly had the qualifications for it and has had experiences in diverse parts of the world that allow him to bring to this position a unique blessing that I think we’re going to see very quickly.”
Top headlines
• Bishop Martin urges Catholics to seize the moment offered by new pope
• Bishop Martin 'thrilled' about new Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Martin’s meeting with Cardinal Prevost came in the pope’s former capacity as the Vatican’s head of the Dicastery for Bishops, the office that handles appointments of bishops worldwide. During the hour-long meeting, Bishop Martin said he gained a sense of the future pope’s personality as well as his deep knowledge of issues affecting the Church.
“I was very taken not only by his friendly nature, but also about his awareness of the dynamics of the Church – not just in the United States but more importantly about the Church around the world,” Bishop Martin said. “The thing that struck me the most was just his calm demeanor. He was very relaxed…I sensed his interest in me and his interest in what was happening here in Charlotte.”
Bishop Martin also attended meetings led by Cardinal Prevost during a trip to Rome last September, and said that even while talking about significant issues affecting the Church, “he had a certain calm about him.”
Pope Leo XIV brings an extensive background of ministry and service to his new role, gained during years living and working in both the U.S. and in Peru, as well as in Rome. The 69-year-old speaks five languages and also reads Latin and German. Ordained in 1982, he served for two decades in Peru, where he was Bishop of Chiclayo for eight years and became a naturalized citizen. He belongs to the Order of St. Augustine (also known as the Augustinians) and was head of the order before Pope Francis appointed him to lead the Dicastery for Bishops. He was also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America under Pope Francis. (READ MORE: First American elected pope)
Bishop Martin said that wide range of experience will help the new pope respond to the needs of the Church around the world.
“I think that’s the wisdom of God at work through the cardinals…to bring someone to this very important position who has had experiences in some very diverse parts of the world…and been in contact with bishops from all over the world,” he said. “He has had a unique ear listening to the realities of the Church Universal.”
In his first remarks to the thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV mentioned his predecessor’s legacy of synodality – a commitment to listening and dialogue throughout the Church.
“I think that gives us all a hopeful image for what we can expect moving forward, which is we all have to listen to each other more,” Bishop Martin said. “If you think about the issues of our day, so much of what brings conflict is the desire to want to be understood more than to understand. What Pope Francis was doing and what I think Pope Leo XIV now has picked up on, is saying: let’s place the emphasis not on being understood, but on understanding.”
Bishop Martin also is inviting Catholics in the diocese to celebrate the new pope with prayer and worship.
“While the world may look for clues to anticipate the new Holy Father’s approach to one topic or another, we look to the Holy Spirit to inspire our new shepherd and to give us all a desire for deep communion which is at the heart of Jesus’ desire for His Church,” he said in a statement shortly after Pope Leo’s election was announced.
Bishop Martin invites all Catholics to perform small acts of charity in the days to express solidarity with the new pope, and to attend a special diocesan Mass for Pope Leo XIV and the Universal Church at 7 p.m. Friday, May 9, at St. Matthew Church, located at 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. in Charlotte.
— Christina Lee Knauss and Troy C. Hull
Catholic students take in the historic moment
The white smoke from the Sistine Chapel made Catholic school classrooms across the diocese freeze and quickly turn on the TV. Teachers and students put a pause to learning for this once-in-a-lifetime event as they watched the first North American pope ever elected appear in the window and deliver his first address. Cheers, applause and screams erupted as students jumped out of their seats in excitement. For once, instead of the teachers trying to calm down the chaos, they joined in, enjoying a truly historic moment where religion and patriotism intertwine:
