Fall River Diocese makes statement, announces mass, on the election of new American Pope

FALL RIVER — Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha has issued the following statement on the occasion of the election of the first American Pope Leo XIV:

“On behalf of all the priests, deacons, religious, and faithful of the Diocese of Fall River, I offer my sincerest congratulations, prayers, and best wishes to the newly elected successor of St. Peter, Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, who chose the name of Pope Leo XIV. Most importantly, on this extraordinary and joyous occasion, I offer my prayers and those of the entire Diocese for the Holy Father as he sets out on the path chosen for him by the Lord and entrusted to him by the College of Cardinals. May God grant him the help and strength he will need as he undertakes the office of Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Universal Church.”

Previously known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A., Pope Leo XIV was born September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal in September 2023 and promoted him to cardinal-bishop in February 2025, assigning him the Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano.

Pope Leo XIV of French, Italian, and Spanish descent, grew up in a Catholic family in Chicago’s south suburbs, attending St. Mary of the Assumption parish. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University (1977), a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, with a thesis on the role of the local prior in the Augustinian order. He joined the Augustinians in 1977, took solemn vows in 1981, and was ordained a priest in 1982.

Pope Leo XIV aligns closely with Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality, humility, and pastoral care over rigid doctrinal enforcement. He advocates for bishops to be “pastors, not managers,” prioritizing closeness to God, priests, and the faithful.

Bishop da Cunha will celebrate a Mass for Pope Leo XIV at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 12:00 PM. All priests, deacons, religious, and laity of the Diocese will be invited to participate.