Pope Leo XIV’s election unified the Catholic Church with doctrinal clarity & humility. Sources reveal near-unanimous support by the fourth ballot
Newsroom (05/06/2025 22:38, Gaudium Press) It has been circulated in the media – with undisclosed sources, probably fearful of the latae sententiae excommunication that hangs like a sword of Damocles over any whistleblower – that in the third ballot, that is, in the second ballot on the morning of May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV was already practically the successor of Peter. However, to ensure a broader consensus, it was decided to wait until the fourth ballot.
What is certain is that all the sources who ventured to speak on the subject confirmed that by the fourth vote, the first of the afternoon, support for Cardinal Prevost was almost unanimous.
This agglutinating force was also seen in the early days of the Pontiff’s rule: “The election of Leo XIV produced with surprising speed a fundamental result: reunifying the Catholic Church,” Cardinal Ruini recently declared in an interview with Francesco Antonio Grana of Il Fatto Quotidiano.
Cardinal Ruini also explains this unifying effect with a phrase that once again reveals his deep knowledge of the Church’s internal “politics”: “Leo reassured the faithful whom Francis had upset”. This cardinal, in line with previous statements, insists that the greater “doctrinal clarity” of the current pontificate will facilitate Catholic identity and unity.
In addition, Cardinal Ruini highlights, in this unifying work, “personal aspects of Pope Leo, starting with his humility and simplicity and going on to the great witness of love and service to others that he gave in the various phases of his life: just look at what he did in Peru for migrants and, in particular, for the redemption of prostitutes”.
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
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