The Catholic community in Drenthe is positive about the appointment of Robert Prevost as the new Pope. The American, who has chosen the name Leo XIV, is seen as a connector.
The announcement of the new Pope was followed with great interest at the Catholic Church in Hoogeveen. The first American pope is seen as a leader who will largely follow the policy of Pope Francis, who died last month. That says Peter Wellen, who lives in Hoogeveen, who is responsible for the diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden as a so-called Diocesan administrator, which also includes Drenthe.
The 69-year-old Prevost, from Chicago, spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and only became cardinal in 2023. “It is an inviting man, very cordially. He refers to his predecessor Francis, whom he thanks for his bet,” says Wellen. “I see this appointment as a nice continuation on what Francis has built up.”
“He is quite progressive in his thinking and doing, if you compare that with the entire tradition of the church. But I also see him as a man from the middle. I therefore expect that he can bring both sides of the church together. That is why I think he was widely chosen.”
The new pope has been involved in the diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden in the past period. “He was head of the bishop’s professions. If all goes well, he played a role in the preparation for the new bishop for Groningen-Leeuwarden,” says Wellen. “We hope that the appointment will come soon, because Drenthe also has to deal with that.”
The inauguration of the new Pope will take place next Sunday. The mass before the start of his pontificate then starts at 10 a.m. on Sint-Pietersplein, according to the Vatican.