Priest welcomes Pope Leo XIV as a 'people's Pope'

A Roman Catholic priest has welcomed the election of the new Pope, Leo XIV, and labelled him the "people's Pope".

Father Brian McGinley, formerly of St George's Catholic Church in Worcester, said he believed the 267th Pope would speak "truth to power" and not take sides.

Leo was elected on Thursday and is the first US leader of the Church.

"I thought his face when he appeared on the balcony yesterday, there was such a look of serenity and peace about him," Mr McGinley said.

"I think his message will be the message of the gospel.

"As someone said about Jesus, He came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable and I think he'll certainly at certain points make us think about that."

Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Spanish and Franco-Italian descent, the new Pope served as an altar boy and was ordained in 1982.

Mr McGinley said his rise was impressive.

"He was elevated to various positions and only been a bishop for just about 11 years but I think Pope Francis probably trusted him greatly because he was on so many different departments in the Vatican," he said.

"He had great experience as the superior of his religious order, the Augustinians, and had travelled most of the world as well.

"He's a real global figure and that's probably one of the things that attracted him to the cardinals because many of them would have known him due to his wide experience and his wide traveling."

Despite only being in the role for a day, Father McGinley said he was certain the new Pope would have a lasting impact.

"It sounds a bit cliched, but he's definitely a people's Pope, meeting people and dialoguing and not being seen as a distant figure," he added.

"He was waving and embracing, reaching out to the whole world on the balcony.

"I see him as a great shepherd, a great leader, a moral voice that people will look to for encouragement."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.