Guide Filipinos next please, our dear Holy Spirit!

Last March 13, 2013, blessed with being awakened shortly after 12 in the morning, I was able to witness, via livestream, the introduction of Pope Francis as our new Pope!

- Cherry Piquero-Ballescas [e-mail]

Gratefully, about the same time, May 9, 2025, I was blessed to be awakened to join, once again, via livestream, the thousands in St. Peter's Square and throughout the world who waited and witnessed the announcement: "Habemus Papam" "We have a pope!" While waiting, to be honest, part of me asked, "will the next pope be Filipino?" Then, the moment of truth and light emerged against the background of the setting sun at the Vatican! Pope Leo XIV --former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the Order of Saint Augustine-- was elected by the Conclave as new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics! He is the first ever North American Pope, elected after the first ever South American Catholic leader, Pope Francis! More information about Pope Leo XIV will expectedly be shared widely from here on. Some initial information about him noted that he is from Chicago, with a degree in Math, and is multilingually fluent in English/Spanish/Portuguese/ Italian/French.