TRANSCRIPT
For millions of Catholic Australians, the announcement of the election of a new pope came in the early hours of the morning.
After two days of deliberation, the group of 133 cardinals chose the new leader of the Catholic Church - and the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
Cardinal Robert Prevost has taken on the name Pope Leo XIV - and is the first US-born pontiff.
Ian Epondulan is a Catholic church youth leader from Western Sydney. He told SBS Filipino, it's an exciting moment.
"At around 3 o'clock this morning, we stayed up to see if a newly elected Pope would arise and white smoke appeared from the Sistine Chapel."
Also staying up in the early hours to watch history being made was Father Michael Belonio.
The Parish Priest from the Catholic Community of North Harbour in northern Sydney told SBS Filipino, he still recalls visits to the parish by Pope Leo back when he was Prior General of the Order of St Augustine.
"So I was saying Mass this morning in the Parish and everyone was just happy in the church because most of us were aware that our new Pope has been in our parish a few times. He has celebrated mass at that very same altar where I celebrated Mass this morning. He has shared morning tea, meals with us in this vicinity many times. So it's just a blessing to know him personally."
Father Joseph Anson Kalathiparambil is an Associate Parish Priest at St James Parish Brisbane.
He recalls a remarkable encounter with the Pope Leo, when he visited Australia for World Youth Day in 2008.
He spoke with SBS Malayalam:
"As we stepped out into the cool night air (and) without warning, he knelt down down before us, stretched out his hands and said "I love you my dear brothers". It was such a spontanous and very great gesture, that shouted without words, the beauty of Augustinian friendship."
(Sound of church organ playing)
Leading mass at St Mary's Cathedral, l Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher welcomed the choice of a former missionary to the papacy.
"I do think this pope is a very centrist kind of pope. And so that might mke him less controversial - and some people might want more controversy and some might want less. I think at the heart of that will be the great mission that St Peter was given to unite the Church. That he is in a very divided world and the divisions in the culture, in the politics; in diplomacy and the rest. The world has infected the Church too. In a very divided world, he will be a peacemaker and unifier."
The faithful also gathered at St Patrick's cathedral in Melbourne.
(Sound of service and prayers)
Among attendees, there was a positive reception to the new Pope.
Female voxie 1: "I think he was a good choice. He has the same spirit of love and commitment to marginalised people and love. But his also a little bit conservative about some things like women in the church.
Female voxie 2: "I found out when I woke up this morning, so it's actually really really exciting. I really didn't think there would be an American Pope."
Born in Chicago, Pope Leo is the first pontiff from the United States, although he has lived and preached for decades in Peru.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the announcement, saying his government looks forward to working with the Holy See under the new papacy.
"As the first North American Pope, Pope Leo XIV's leadership comes at an important time for the Catholic church and for the world. I will invite his holiness Pope Leo to Australia for the International Eucharistic Conference, which is being proudly hosted in 2028."
Bishop Antoine Charbel Tarabey, of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy in Australia and New Zealand, spoke to SBS Arabic.
He praised Pope Leo's record of serving the poor and marginalised.
"He was full of hope, full of joy for all of us. And certainly the new pope, given he decided to choose to use the name of Leo XIV - he is going to give social justice the priority in his new mandate. And I believe this is very important and very significant - ad very important - in the work of the new church today."
Father John Sullivan is the Superior of the Villanova Community of Augustinians in Brisbane.
He told SBS Malayalam his own dealings with Pope Leo give him confidence in the new leadership.
"He certainly is a spiritual man. He was very good in giving advice to us starting up a new mission in Korea. Once when we had a bit of a crisis, he actually flew over from America to be with us. And we found out later that that was during his holiday. He was always very decisive. He is good at making decisions - and a good leader."
Denny Geronimo Jr is a devout Catholic from Melbourne who migrated to Australia from the Philippines in 2018.
Like many, he has high hopes for the new Church leader.
"I just hope that the Catholic Church will continue to listen to everyone and will be more open. And I think there are heaps of things to be done, voices to be heard. I just hope and pray that the Church will continue to have that open conversation to everyone. Which is very big shoes to fill in, and Pope Francis has done a lot of those kind of things."
