Announcement on the Occasion of the Election of a New Pope
It is with great joy and hearts filled with tireless hope that we, children of the Maronite Church—an Eastern Catholic Patriarchal Church—in deep love and full communion with the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, announce the election of the new Pope, Leo XIV, successor of Peter, head of the Catholic Church, shepherd of the flock, and guardian of the Body of Christ in the world.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people of good will!
The election of the new Pontiff Leo XIV echoes within us as a living word of Jesus: "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." It is a visible sign of the Holy Spirit’s work in the Church and of God's unwavering faithfulness through the generations. In these times, marked by uncertainty, numerous challenges, and rapid changes, this event emerges like late-season rain, a new dawn heralding a renewal of hope, love, and unity.
For us Maronites, a Patriarchal Eastern Church at the heart of the East, bearers of an ancient heritage and animated by total devotion to Jesus Christ and the universal Church, this election brings new hope to our wounded East, an overflow of love to be invested. A love for the Church that is not a choice, but the very essence of our vocation and the mystery of our mission. We are a Church rooted in the rock, journeying through mountains and valleys, through exile and trials, remaining faithful – with our sister churches – to our tradition and our ancestral Catholic faith.
From the beloved land of Cyprus, an island that has welcomed us for centuries and unites in its soil the voice of the East and the whisper of the West, we lift our fervent prayers to God. We, His people and citizens, Maronites since the 7th century, offer our filial obedience and love to the new Pope, our Holy Father Leo XIV, asking the Holy Spirit to grant him wisdom, discernment, gentleness, and courage to guide the Church on the path of holiness, truth, hope, and mercy.
Today, with the whole world – believers and non-believers, with all who seek light and truth – we celebrate our joy. The election of a new Pope, in addition to being for every believer a living expression of God’s action at the heart of the world and of the Church’s constant renewal under the guidance of the Good Shepherd, is a new call to collaborate with all people of goodwill to safeguard human dignity and work for the common good.
So, to all of you, we proclaim:
We love you, living Jesus,
We love your holy Church,
We love the one your Spirit has consecrated holy among us.
As Maronites, we proclaim our faith, our devotion, and our fidelity at the heart of the Church – the Church of unity, forgiveness, and witness.
May the new Pope be a voice of peace, a bridge of unity, a support for the poor, a loving father to his people and to all peoples.
Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and to the united Church, in heart and word, glory and praise forever and ever. Amen.
† Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus