10 days ago, we had white smoke and about an hour and 10 minutes after the white smoke billowed from the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel, the world was introduced to our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost from Chicago. I think the world was shocked that we have an American pope. But he is not an American pope. He is a pope of the world. He just happens to be from the south side of Chicago.

A south sider myself, I have been asked hundreds of times in the last ten days, how I know the Pope. He is from Dalton. I was born in Harvey. They are neighboring towns. Last night, I discovered when I was at the Knights of Columbus State Convention, and Bishop Hicks was there. Bishop Hicks was born in South Holland, so the knight turned to me, he says, “What’s going on? You got two bishops and a pope from the same five mile radius.” Everybody’s trying to make a connection. to see that famous or infamous, however you want to say it, six degrees of separation. My degree I discovered is that we both grew up loving the same pizza place. So my degree of separation with the Holy Father, I do not know Him yet, but we both love Aurelio’s Pizza.

And today, in Rome, he celebrated his Mass of inauguration as our Holy Father. It was a beautiful celebration. And you could see, he was visibly moved. particularly when they placed the two symbols of his office upon him, the pallium, which is a small wool woven scarf. It is a symbol of the unity of the church, and that he is the chief shepherd of that church. and more so when they placed upon him the ring of the fishermen. you probably will see video of him receiving that ring and then looking down and recognizing what his responsibility is. Really a beautiful, tender moment. We commend him to the Lord. We ask for courage and strength for him to lead our church. We entrust him to Our Lady that she may watch over him and protect him. And we pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon him. That in His ministry as the successor to the apostle Peter, he may lead us all closer to the heart of Jesus.

We hear in today’s gospel passage, the passage where Jesus says, that he won’t be with us much longer. He’s about to ascend to the Father. And he gives us direction. And that direction is to follow the new Commandment. And in following the new Commandment is to take up his mission, and that new commandment is to love. To love as Jesus loves. To love, as Jesus loves. And in this, they will know that you are my disciples. If you live out the new commandment of love. People will see who you are. Pope Leo said today in his homily that “this is the hour for love. This is the hour for love.”

Indeed, when we look across the world at the challenges we face, when we see the darkness that covers so many corners of our world, because of hatred and violence, without respect for life, for wars, for division, for a lack of truth, we see that darkness. There’s only one thing that can conquer it all. That is love! Love moves us beyond the present. Love moves us to be the more that God calls us to. Love moves us to change the world!

Well, there will be many conversations yet to come about the Holy Father. There are many conversations already. What actually took place in the conclave? There’s not gonna be a sequel to the movie. When I look at just the last week and a half of knowing our new Holy Father, what he has said, but more so the way he has presented himself, I see love! I see a man who loves Jesus. A man who loves the church. A man who loves the world. And I have every confidence that, like his predecessors, he will give himself completely to us…to the world, to make people present the love of Jesus, because this is the hour of life.

The good news, I think, for all of us, is that we have a new pope. And we are grateful for that. But like our previous popes, they rely on us, the church, to put into practice the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Jesus makes this remarks to the disciples today, it’s not just to Peter. It’s to all of them. And therefore, it’s to all of us. How will they know that we are Christians? How will you show that you are a disciple? There’s only one way. To love as Jesus loves. Which means, at times, it will be challenging and difficult. At times we will fail. But as we are committing ourselves into each and every day, to follow the Lord, we know that his love and mercy and his example will be renewed in our hearts so that our lives may reflect that love to the world. May each and every encounter that we are blessed to experience, this is the hour of love. Those were the words of Pope Leo XIV this morning. But he took them not from himself, but from Jesus who said this is the hour of love. And they will know that you are my disciples if you love as I have loved you. It’s the same Gospel…it’s the same task…it’s the same mission. Whether you are the first American Pope from the southside of Chicago, today inaugurated as Leo XIV…or whether it’s us here in this beautiful Cathedral in Peoria. We must learn to love as Jesus did.

And so let us end with his words. The words of Pope Leo XIV, “With the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit, let us build a church founded on God’s love. A sign of unity…a missionary church that opens its arms to the world. Proclaims the word, allows itself to be made restless by history and becomes a Leven of harmony for humanity. Together as one people, as brothers and sisters, let us walk toward God and love one another.”

Bishop Tylka adds prayers for our Holy Father!