Monsignor Hilary Franco, the adviser and permanent observer of the Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, speaking with Newsmax on the day before the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, said he feels that the new pontiff will give the church a sense of unity and peace.
"He wants a disarmed peace, and disarming peace with humility and patience," Franco told Newsmax's "The Count." "That is what Pope Leo is going to do."
Franco urged watchers to be very careful to listen to what the new Pope will say during his inauguration homily, "because that will be his program for the future."
Hilary has returned to New York because of commitments here, but he said that being present at the beginning of the conclave where Pope Leo was selected was a way of "understanding how the church is full of life."
Pope Leo, he added, is "embracing the world" with his ministry, said Hilary, adding that "humanity is at stake here, my dear."
More than 100 cardinals selected Pope Leo, and that was because of the Holy Spirit, said Franco.
"In our network interviews, you know, I had said there's going to be a very short conclave, and sure enough, it was," he said. "At one point, I felt that it was somebody else who had been chosen."
Still, there was "this unity of intent on the part of the cardinals to choose the man who is really balanced," Franco added. "He has humility. He has the patience that we need right now, and especially insists on peace and unity. That's what we need right now."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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