Dutch PM Schoof wishes Pope Leo XIV "strength and wisdom" in his mission

Prime Minister Dick Schoof wishes the new Pope Leo XIV “much strength and wisdom with his important and responsible mission.” The Prime Minister said this on X after the American Cardinal Robert Prevost (69) was elected as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

“It is wonderful news that a new Pope has been elected so quickly. A special moment for the Catholic world community and beyond,” the Prime Minister said.

The Dutch newspapers paid a lot of attention to Pope Leo XIV on Friday, describing the first American Pope as a leader who would largely follow the policy of Pope Francis but was a lot more reserved than his predecessor.

Trouw reports on the atmosphere of St. Peter’s Square on Thursday, where believers took selfies “in a festival atmosphere” with the famous chimney in the background, hugged each other when white smoke came out of it, and cheered for the first American Pope. According to the newspaper, the new pope is “a listener who transcends borders.”

De Telegraaf writes that Robert Prevost is known as “a pragmatic bridge builder between different cultures and church traditions” who is not overly conservative or progressive.

Leo XIV’s practical attitude is also reflected in the reporting of the Nederlands Dagblad, which describes the American as “a pragmatic administrator and a social pope who will continue the synodal process of Pope Francis,” with which the newspaper refers to Francis’ efforts to conduct more consultation with the church.

FD called Leo XIV “an effective manager, reserved, and less inclined to improvise than Francis.” The new pope will not break with Francis’ empathetic course, the newspaper writes, but in the past has been less open about gender and sexuality than his predecessor.

Pope Leo XIV spent most of his adult life in Peru but is originally from Chicago, USA. In his native country, the new pope would be able to “bridge the division between conservative and progressive movements,” according to the AD.

NRC and the Volkskrant emphasize that the American pope does not seem to be a great supporter of Donald Trump. NRC writes about the good relationship that Leo XIV has with the American cardinal Blaise Cupich, “Who is very far removed from the American president.” De Volkskrant writes: “The big question is whether the amiable new pope will be able to calm down Russian leader Vladimir Putin and American president Donald Trump with the help of Vatican soft power.”

The Contact Roman Catholics says it has every confidence in the new pope. “I am pleased that the 133 cardinals have come to a broadly supported choice so quickly. That shows that people have a lot of confidence in this new pope,” said priest Geertjan van Rossem, spiritual advisor to the association.

Van Rossem also pointed to the versatile background of the new pope. "He also makes a stable, calm and strong impression during his first appearance. And his message of world peace and the emphasis on God's love for every person, and his continuity with Pope Francis about a synodal church with attention to social issues and with openness to what is happening in the world, as Pope Leo XIII did more than a century ago, are encouraging."