Francis was a staunch defender of human dignity, and spoke tirelessly to lift up the poor, the oppressed, the outcast and the marginalized. He was a strong opponent of uncontrolled capitalism and an unbending proponent of bold climate action and migrant protection. Several hours before his death, Francis continued to speak about the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

The late pope won the hearts of many non-Christians worldwide for his humility, simplicity and sincerity in holding interreligious dialogues and building relationships with all people. His persistent criticisms against Israel’s military attacks in Gaza testify to his humanitarianism in standing with and for defenseless people.

Pope Leo XIV, the 267th pontiff, has chosen as his episcopal motto "In Illo Uno Unum" meaning “in the one Christ we are one”, which reflects his commitment to unity and harmony in the Church. He has long been a champion of workers' rights and the Catholic social justice tradition, which was founded by the last pope to take the name Leo. All this indicates his intention to continue in Francis’s footsteps in leading the Church as a global ministry.

The conclave attracted worldwide attention, partly because most people remember the late pope fondly and wished his successor would emulate Francis as a model for humanity.

Prevost’s election also broke the “taboo” that an American should never hold the Vatican’s top post as long as the United States is a global superpower. It is likely he was elected because of his track record, but whether this signals a declining US remains to be seen.

In his inaugural speech, Pope Leo called on people “to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people, always in peace”.

“Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward,” he said.

To the Church, he said: "We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone, like this square, open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.”

Media outlets close to the Vatican raised some of the external issues the new pope will soon face, such as the ongoing wars in the Holy Land and Ukraine, anti-immigrant sentiment, worldwide persecution of Christians, global realignment and the death of transnationalism. In the Church, he must also deal with unfinished work, such as the cases of sexual abuse allegedly involving priests.

Prevost’s election comes after US President Donald Trump angered many Catholics by posting an AI-generated image of himself as pope, which was shared by the White House’s social media accounts when many around the world were mourning the death of Pope Francis.

As cardinal, Prevost never hesitated to criticize Trump and Vice President JD Vance, as evident in several posts on his X account. Nevertheless, Trump described the rise of an American to the papacy as a great "honor" for the country.

Indonesia, especially its minority Catholic population, joins the world in welcoming Pope Leo XIV and look to his leading the Church as a religious institution that spreads peace and charity and stands by all those who suffer.

May God bless the new pope.