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Profile of Pope Leo XIV

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US Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.

After serving as missionary and archbishop in Peru, Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis’s pontificate, for the first time appointing women to an influential body involved in the nomination of bishops.

Prevost, 69, has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and became a cardinal only in 2023. He has given few media interviews and is a relative unknown on the global stage.

The late Pope Francis brought him to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.

As a result, Prevost enjoyed a prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals had.

A Chicago native, the new Pope is also a Peruvian citizen. Italian newspaper La Repubblica called him “the least American of the Americans” for his soft-spoken touch.

Prevost was also twice elected prior general, or top leader, of the Augustinian religious order, founded in the 13th century by St. Augustine. The order operates in 50 countries and has a special focus on a life of community and equality among its members.

Francis clearly had an eye on him for years, moving him from the Augustinian leadership back to Peru in 2014 to serve as the administrator and later archbishop of Chiclayo.

He remained in that position, acquiring Peruvian citizenship in 2015, until the late pontiff brought him to Rome in 2023 to assume the presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Pope Francis elevated the US cardinal to prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops during a consistory at St. Peter’s Square on September 30, 2023.

In that job he would have kept in regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in the part of the world that counts still counts the most Catholics.

Ever since he arrived in Rome, Prevost kept a low public profile – though he was well known to the men who count.

Significantly, he presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms Francis made, when he added three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope.

In early 2025, Francis again showed his esteem by appointing Prevost to the most senior rank of cardinals, suggesting he would at least be Francis’s choice in an any future conclave.

 

 

 

 

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Breaking: Court of Appeal rules in favour of Turaki -led PDP candidate for Osun governorship election

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The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Thursday, ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Gubernatorial Candidate in Osun State was validly nominated by the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee.

The court also ordered INEC to list the PDP logo on the ballot ahead of Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

The Court held that access code is neither a creation of the Constitution nor the Electoral Act; rather, a creation of INEC’s guidelines and cannot, in any way, override the provisions of the Constitution.

Section 288 of the Constitution does not specify the method for nominating candidates; it only states that the names of candidates should be forwarded to the Commission.

The court further held that the defendant (INEC) should take steps to include the name of the appellant on the ballot paper.

Additionally, the court ruled that the primary election conducted by the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP was a valid primary election in law.

The three-man panel of justices—Justice Mahmud, Justice Jaro, and Justice Ankawere, was unanimous in its judgment.

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Breaking: NHRC sets up situation room to monitor and document hate speech, intimidation, threat to life ahead 2027

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The national Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has set up a situation room to monitor and document all incidences of hate speech, intimidation and threat to life by politicians and other actors ahead of the 2027 general election.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concerns over rising incidences of hate speech, intimidation and outright threat to life by highly placed individuals, especially politicians and religious leaders.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chef Tony Ojukwu, SAN, revealed this on Thursday in Abuja at a press conference.

He said the situation room would enable the Commission harvest data, analysis and document persons, agencies and others involved in the negative statements in order to ensure they are properly tracked and brought to book by relevant agencies.

Ojukwu also took journalists on a tour of the newly set up situation room.

 

Details later…..

 

 

 

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Breaking: NHRC expresses concern over rising incidences of hate speech, threat to life ahead 2027 elections

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concerns over rising incidences of hate speech, intimidation and outright threat to life by highly placed individuals, especially politicians and religious leaders.

At a press conference in Abuja Thursday, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chef Tony Ojukwu, SAN, recalled statements credited to Senator Francis Fadahunsi and Sheikh Yahya Jingir and described the das dangerous with capacity to set the nation ablaze.

He called on politicians, religious and traditional rulers, among other stakeholders to call their supporters and faithful to orders.

He urged government to act before rhetorics turn to violence, saying the forthcoming election in Osun State should serve as example of Nigeria’s capacity to conduct political contest in compliance with international best practices.

Details later…..

 

 

 

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