Worshippers attend midday Mass at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica in Toronto on May 9.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
Standing outside after Mass on a sunny spring afternoon in Toronto, Levi Lacson says he is happy – and relieved – that Pope Leo XIV brings a message of peace to a world he says so badly needs it.
Mr. Lacson, originally from the Philippines, had hoped that history would be made with the election of the first ever pope from his home country, especially as Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle had been widely seen as a front-runner.
He says he’s not disappointed though – and is optimistic that Pope Leo will carry on in the tradition of his predecessor, Pope Francis, in conveying the importance of peace, unity and kindness.
“I hope it is peaceful all over the world,” says Mr. Lacson, 76, who comes to St. Michael’s Cathedral every Friday for the noon Mass.
Levi Lacson stands outside St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica following midday Mass on May 9. He hopes the new pope will unite people the world over.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
He likes that Pope Leo has connections to Peru, and he hopes that any message of peace will reach people in the United States, in particular, in this time of divisions. He wants the new Pope to unite people the world over.
Sitting on a bench in front of the church, Aileen Thorne, 74, said she was initially disappointed that a Black pope from an African nation wasn‘t elected – from a region in the Global South where Catholicism is growing. She believes that it would have made the church stronger.
Candle offerings are lit next to a bust of Pope John Paul II at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
A devout Catholic, Ms. Thorne, originally from Trinidad, has been coming to St. Michael’s Cathedral regularly for 25 years. She lives in Oshawa, Ont., now, but visits the church, which she calls her sanctuary, whenever she’s in town.
She admired Pope Francis, and hopes Pope Leo will continue in his spirit, speaking up for migrants, for refugees and for the poor. She believes that Pope Leo can act as a counterbalance to U.S. President Donald Trump, “especially with the refugees and how people are being mistreated in the world.”
“We need someone who will go deep and help the ones who are less fortunate,” tackling hunger and poverty, she says.
About 80 people gathered for Friday’s midday Mass at St. Michael’s. Built in 1845, it is one of the largest and oldest Catholic churches in downtown Toronto.
Aileen Thorne sits outside St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica. She hopes Pope Leo will continue in Pope Francis' spirit, speaking up for migrants, for refugees and for the poor.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
Many churchgoers were older, but not all. Salina Asfaha, 27, who works nearby at St. Michael’s Hospital, attends the church on her breaks.
She was glad to see a relatively young Pope elected – Pope Leo is 69, which makes him younger than his last two predecessors. “His age makes me feel optimistic,” says Ms. Asfaha.
She hopes Pope Leo brings people together, as a unifying force. She hopes he builds on Pope Francis’s work in accepting members of the LGBTQ community. (Some people have raised concerns over Pope Leo’s views in light of a 2012 speech in which he suggested the “homosexual lifestyle” is “at odds with the Gospel;” he has said little publicly about his current stance).
Canada had about 10.9 million people who identified as Catholic in 2021, comprising 29.9 per cent of the population, according to the last census. It is the largest religious group in the country.
Venus Regalado stands outside St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica. She was overjoyed that a new Pope was chosen and that the wait is over.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
In Toronto, Venus Regalado is one of them. She watched, with goosebumps, the white smoke billow on TV this week. She was overjoyed that a new Pope was chosen, and the uncertainty over.
“As a Catholic, it gives you an inner peace,” that a decision was made, and that it didn‘t take long to choose him, said Ms. Regalado, 59.
“With what’s going on in this world right now, it’s very sad. So, this is a different feeling. It gives us a lot of hope.“