anguage is a great barrier while ignorance is an academic disease. Before I traveled to Germany to further my theological studies, I was grilled in Deutsch language for three months (thrice a week) at Goethe Institute in Victoria Island Lagos. At least I learnt the elementary aspects to avoid getting lost in Germany. Eventually when I got there, I registered for another three months' German language learning at Deutsch Sprachkurs Kreuzberg in Bonn. At Goethe Lagos, English and Deutsch were used in teaching us. But in Bonn right from the first day, the teaching was done solely in Deutsch. I would have gotten drowned in the class, if I had not gone to Goethe Institute Lagos. Thus I followed the teacher. On the first day we were asked one after the other, "Wie heissest du? Woher kommst du?" (What is your name? Where do you come from?). When it reached my turn, I proudly stood up and answered, "Mein Name ist Amobi Patrick Chukwuma. Ich komme aus Nigeria." The teacher commended me by saying "Prima!" (Excellent!). Difficulty set in when we reached to the conjugation of verbs. Example: gehen, ging, gegangen (going, went, gone) and definite articles: die, der, das (all meaning 'the'). 'Die' is for feminine noun, 'der' for masculine and 'das' for neuter. Every noun and its article must be learnt by rote. By the grace of God, I went, I learnt and I conquered. For now I can speak Igbo, English, Hausa and German. In addition I have a fair knowledge of Latin.

Where I am going to? The recent Conclave held in Rome which elected the new Pope reminded us once more about this common Latin terminology: "Habemus Papam!" Some interpreted it in Igbo language to mean, "Hapurunu m Papa m!" which means "Leave my father for me." Tears of confusion covered my face when I was laughing. At last I shouted, "Ignorance is a disease!" For heaven's sake, "Habemus Papam" is a Latin expression which means "We have a Pope." Pope Francis was born on 17 December 1936, elected Pope on 13 March 2013 and eventually died on 21 April 20125. After his demise, the Papal Seat became vacant. He was the 266th Pope. After his burial, the 133 eligible Cardinals (those under 80 years) from 71 countries entered into the Sistine Chapel for the Conclave, whereby a new pope must be elected to lead the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. There is no certainty how long any Conclave can last. Here are the durations of the most recent Conclaves: Pope John Paul I = 4 ballots/2days, Pope John Paul II = 8 ballots/3 days, Pope Benedict XVI = 4 ballots/2 days, Pope Francis =5 ballots/2 days. The longest Conclave in history lasted for 2 years, 9 months and 2 days (1268 - 1271) which ended with the election of Pope Gregory X on September 1, 1271. The shortest Conclave in history lasted for 10 hours and ended with the election of Pope Julius II in 1503. The current Pope Leo XIV was elected after 5 ballots in 2 days. For me it lasted for one and half days.

Before the commencement of the just concluded conclave on Wednesday 7 May, the 133 eligible cardinals took an oath of secrecy one after the other. At the end, the Archbishop who was the Master of Ceremony went behind the microphone and announced, "Extra omnes." This means that every other person should leave. All went out of the Sistine Chapel and the door was closed. Then the conclave began. The election was done in secret. The Holy Spirit hovered inside the Sistine Chapel as the election process started. Each cardinal was given a sheet of paper to write the candidate of his choice. Toward evening black smoke came out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel which signaled that no pope has been elected. The numerous people from different parts of the world waited anxiously outside Saint Peter's Basilica Rome for the white smoke. I saw three pigeons also waiting on the roof of the Sistine Chapel for the white smoke. Each time the black smoke appeared, they flew away. But when the white smoke eventually appeared, they were flying round it singing in joy that a new pope has been elected.

After some time, the Master of the ceremony appeared at the popular balcony of St Peter's Basilica Rome and proclaimed, "Habemus Papam!" The mammoth crowd clapped and shouted in jubilation. The bells of the Basilica started ringing continuously. The Papal seat is no longer vacant. It is now to be occupied by the successor of Saint Peter, former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost; now Pope Leo XIV. When elected and accepted, the new pope takes a new name. However the change of name is not doctrinal. It has become a custom. The last Pope Leo XIII was known for his dedication to social justice, fair wages and safe working conditions. He explicated these doctrines in his popular Encyclical Letter known as "Rerum Novarum" (Emergence of New things). Perhaps the new Pope Leo XIV would follow his footsteps. The name Leo is derived from Lion. In other words, Pope Leo XIV will conquer the world positively with lion's heart. The days to come shall determine.

There were two premonitions that the new pope will come from America. Prior to the papal election, the President of America, Donald Trump, by artificial intelligence appeared in social media in full papal white regalia. However it was widely condemned. For me he dreamed that the next pope will be an American. Also, the students in a school in Chicago dressed dramatically in cardinal outfits and entered into their own mock conclave and thereby elected their own pope. What a coincidence! The new pope happens to come from Chicago. Their dreams were really actualized.

Who is Pope Leo XIV? His original name is Robert Francis Prevost. He is the first American Pope in history. He was born on September 14, 1955 in Chicago. His father is French while his mother is an Italian. He is an American by birth, born in Chicago. He spent his childhood and youthful life with his family and studied at Augustinian Minor Seminary. Then he proceeded to Villanova University in Pennsylvania where he got a Degree in Mathematics in 1977. He also studied philosophy there. Later his superior sent him to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas known as Angelicum. He was ordained a priest in Rome on 19 June 1982. He is a priest of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA). In 1988 he was sent to Peru as director of the joint formation project for Augustinian candidates from the vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos and Apurimac. He served as the Superior General of the Augustinian Congregation from 2001 to 2013, during which he visited the Augustinians in Nigeria. He is the first Augustinian pope. He has a dual citizenship of Peru and America. On November 3, 2014 he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo by Pope Francis who later elevated him to the episcopal dignity as Titular Bishop of Sufar. He was ordained a bishop on 12 December 2014. From 2015 to 2023 he served as the Bishop of Chicclayo in Peru. On 30 January 2023, Pope Francis called him to Rome to become the Prefect of the Dicastery responsible for the appointment of Bishops as well as the President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, whereby he was promoted to the rank of Archbishop. Pope Francis created him Cardinal in the Consistory of September 30, 2023. By divine choice he was elected a Pope on 8 May 2025. To God be the glory!

We wish Pope Leo XIV God's guidance and a successful apostolate. His facial cheerful appearance and language at the Balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica Rome on that memorable Thursday, 8 May 2025, shows that he would be a real Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth. He spoke of building bridges with dialogue as he thanked the cardinals for choosing him to be the successor of Saint Peter. He underlined the importance of Synodality and Unity of purpose in the spread of the Gospel. During his maiden Pontifical Mass as Pope in the Sistine Chapel on Friday May 9, 2025, he appealed to the College of Cardinals to cooperate with him in the onerous task of bringing the world out of darkness. A new dawn for the Catholic Church has begun. Long Live the Church! Long Live Pope Leo XIV!