American Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the new Pope, taking the title Leo XIV. How his American background and years of missionary experience in Peru will influence the future direction of the Vatican, as well as how he will manage relations with both sides of the Taiwan Strait, has become a focus of international attention.
White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on Thursday (May 8th). The Conclave of Cardinals elected 69-year-old American Cardinal Robert Prevost as the 267th Pope at its meeting on the second day. His name will be Pope Leo XIV (translated as Pope Leo XIV in mainland China), making him the first American Pope of the Catholic Church.
In his first speech after being elected, Leo XIV paid tribute to the late Pope Francis, thanked the cardinals who supported him, and said that the Church would walk with everyone in the pursuit of peace and justice, calling on everyone to unite and build bridges to achieve peace.
US President Trump immediately sent congratulations to Pope Leo XIV, expressing his honor at the birth of the first American pope and expressing his hope to meet with him. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday (May 9) that President Lai Ching-te had instructed the Chinese Embassy in Taiwan to convey a congratulatory message to the new pope, emphasizing Taiwan's desire to continue working with the Holy See in the pursuit of peace and justice. The Catholic Church in China, known as the "One Association and One Group," also sent a congratulatory message on the same day, congratulating Pope Leo XIV on his election as Pope.
Leo XIV's victory over the pro-China favorite is a new Vatican statement on Sino-Vatican relations.
Zhang Mengren, chair of the Department of Italian Language and Literature at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, stated that Leo XIV was appointed by the late Pope Francis as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, responsible for the appointment of bishops. Before his transfer to Rome, he served extensively in the Peruvian diocese. He believes he will continue Francis's path of focusing on the rights of the poor and workers and upholding fairness and justice. Zhang Mengren stated that while it is unclear what Leo XIV's stance on cross-strait issues is, his election, over Pietro Parolin, another top contender for the papacy, also reflects the Vatican's perspective on Sino-Vatican relations.
Zhang Mengren said, "If Parolin hadn't become Pope, China policy would have likely remained in a pause, watch, and listen phase, with significant progress unlikely. This American pope wasn't involved in diplomacy with Francis, so I think he would have focused on domestic affairs, emphasizing the well-being of local believers. He (Leo XIV) was more centrist, trying not to offend either side. He would have had to consider the concerns of many about the rapid progress of Vatican-China relations. Therefore, I don't think the new pope would necessarily uphold a policy of tolerance if China infringed on believers or continued to religiousize China."
The choice of Secretary of State is crucial to Pope Leo XIV's diplomatic strategy
Mo Zhewei, an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University who studies issues related to the Chinese Church, stated that the new pope's choice of "Leo" symbolizes the continuation of the previous pope, Leo XIII, who prioritized social equality and justice, and that diplomacy is not necessarily his primary focus. He also noted that Leo XIV rarely expressed his views on foreign affairs before taking office, and that the identity of his Secretary of State is crucial to understanding the Vatican's approach to Vatican-China relations.
Mozhewei said, "In terms of diplomacy, he hasn't said much about international affairs. Public records don't show any connection or commentary on the Chinese Church. I think he needs some time to study (Vatican-China relations). So, personnel appointments are worth keeping an eye on, such as who will be his Secretary of State. If Cardinal Parolin continues to be Secretary of State, then we can imagine his (Pope Leo XIV's) diplomatic approach. If not, then it will be a very important sign."
He said that Leo XIV is only 69 years old, younger than the previous two popes, and may stay in office for a long time, so his personnel appointments and direction will have a profound impact on the Vatican.
Leo XIV faced the difficult issue of cross-strait relations upon taking office
Kong Lingxin, a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in the Vatican, said that cross-strait relations are an issue that Leo XIV must face. Although he was not in charge of diplomatic work before, he had served as Minister of the Congregation for Bishops, and was responsible for arrangements including the appointment of Chinese bishops. How to deal with China's alleged violation of the bishop appointment agreement can help understand the new pope's attitude towards Vatican-China relations.
Kong Lingxin said, "The interim resolution between China and the Vatican was supposed to require mainland China to send the list (of appointed bishops) to the Vatican, which would then be reviewed by the Congregation for Bishops and submitted to the Pope for his signature. This is the key point. However, China has taken advantage of the Pope's passing to appoint an auxiliary bishop of Shanghai and a bishop of Henan. This is a violation of the interim agreement between China and the Vatican, and the resulting sectarianism is somewhat unpleasant. This will immediately test how Leo XIV will handle it."
Kong Lingxin said that President Lai Ching-te was unable to attend Pope Francis' funeral last month, and whether he can attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Pope is also a key point in observing the Vatican's attitude towards relations with Taiwan.
Leo XIV's religious background, unlike Francis', will help strengthen Taiwan-Vatican relations.
Du Zhusheng, former Taiwanese ambassador to the Holy See, said that there is not much information about Leo XIV's diplomatic approach, but he and Pope Francis belong to different religious orders and attach different importance to developing relations between the Vatican and China.
Du Zhusheng said, "The Society of Jesus was interested in the mainland because of the precedent set by Matteo Ricci in preaching in China. Therefore, of all the popes, Pope Francis has been the most proactive in improving relations with China, even making some concessions. Leo XIV was an Augustinian, and at least not as enthusiastic about Sino-Vatican relations as Pope Francis. The Vatican also has its fundamental principles, and religious freedom is a very important indicator in its foreign policy. We (Taiwan) must emphasize the importance of religious freedom. In the absence of religious freedom in mainland China and the persecution of religious freedom, the Vatican should not establish diplomatic relations with China."
Du Zhusheng said that he understands that the Holy See cannot ignore the tens of millions of Catholics in China, and believes that even if the Holy See is not very active in developing Vatican-China relations, it must maintain contact with China.
