Canon law expert and member of the Shalom Community, Fr. Karlian Vale, worked with then-Cardinal Prevost—now Pope Leo XIV—at the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope last Thursday, the 8th, during the Conclave. Until then, he was serving the Holy See as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops—an appointment made by Pope Francis in 2023. As a result, he also assumed the presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, of which Fr. Karlian has been a member since 2018.
What can we expect from Leo XIV’s pontificate?
In an interview with COMSHALOM, the priest shared his impressions of Cardinal Prevost and his expectations for the new pontificate:
“When he arrived here in Rome two years ago, he brought with him a distinct mark: being a very strong man, close to others, simple—a very simple man, very welcoming, very approachable, very discreet, and very wise. And that wisdom, that serenity, that warmth—we will surely experience all of that from him as the Successor of Peter.”
What does the Pontifical Commission for Latin America do?
According to the Holy See, the function of the Commission for Latin America is to study issues related to the life and development of the particular Churches in Latin America, in order to assist the competent Dicasteries and support them with counsel and economic means.
Additionally, the Commission is tasked with fostering relations between international and national ecclesiastical institutions that work for the benefit of Latin American regions and the curial institutions.
