In this photo provided by the Marymount International School, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, right, celebrates a Mass where he confirmed more than thirty 9th graders of the school on May 11, 2024, in Rome. (Daniele Bianchi/Marymount International School via AP)
In this photo provided by the Marymount International School, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, center, celebrates a Mass where he confirmed more than thirty 9th graders of the school on May 11, 2024, in Rome. (Daniele Bianchi/Marymount International School via AP)
As cardinal, Pope Leo XIV balanced the sacramental with the personal while confirming teenagers
SOAVE, Italy (AP) 鈥 The announcement that an American cardinal had been elected Roman Catholic Church鈥檚 267th pope had special meaning for a group of students at an international Catholic school in Rome.
In this photo provided by the Marymount International School, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, right, celebrates a Mass where he confirmed more than thirty 9th graders of the school on May 11, 2024, in Rome. (Daniele Bianchi/Marymount International School via AP)
SOAVE, Italy (AP) 鈥 The announcement that an American cardinal had been elected Roman Catholic Church鈥檚 267th pope had special meaning for a group of students at an international Catholic school in Rome.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost 鈥 now 鈥 confirmed the Marymount International School 9th graders, usually 14 or 15 years old, in a Mass on May 11, 2024. After learning that a secret conclave had chosen him as pope, students have been 鈥渁bsolutely elated,鈥欌 school head Sarah Gallagher said Saturday by telephone.
A Catholic school with American ties, Marymount typically has an American cardinal confirm its students, and last year tapped Cardinal Prevost, a relative newcomer, about a year after Pope Francis brought him to Rome as a member of the curia.
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鈥淎fterwards, we had dinner with him. There was just no way of predicting,鈥欌 that he was destined for the papacy, Gallagher said. 鈥淗e is a very quiet, unassuming sort of person. He didn鈥檛 give the impression of being a mover-and-shaker in Vatican circles at all.鈥欌
Each of the more than 30 students had written him a letter about their thoughts heading into confirmation, one of Catholicism鈥檚 seven sacraments, often seen as the 鈥渟acrament of maturity.鈥欌 He took time with each of them, Gallagher said.
鈥淥ne of the things he was able to do beautifully, in my view, was to maintain a sense of the sacramental, but to make it intimate for the students, for each of them,鈥欌 she said, describing 鈥渁 lovely peace at the time鈥 that he created with his 鈥渟oftness, and gentleness.鈥
鈥淚 think it was visible in St. Peter鈥檚 Thursday evening. The smile. There is an ease of manner that I think that sets people at ease,鈥欌 she said.
Gallagher couldn鈥檛 remember if any of the students chose Leo as a confirmation name last year; versions of Francis were in vogue for many years, for Leo鈥檚 predecessor. 鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 that be extraordinary,鈥 she wondered.
