Irish priest says new pontiff is 'very bright' and 'nobody's fool'

AN IRISH priest who knew Cardinal Robert Prevost before he became Pope Leo said he was a little “surprised” he became pontiff but joked he'll still call him “Bob”.

- BY DANNY DE VAAL

Fr Kieran O'Mahony, who is part of the Augustine Order, described the American as a “very agreeable, happy in his own skin person”.

Speaking to RTE yesterday, Fr O'Mahony said: “His interventions at our assemblies were sparing but always very accurate and useful.

CALM

The Irish priest, who has met Pope Leo on previous occasions, continued: “If I do get to meet him (again), I will say ‘your holiness’ but I'm going to call him Bob, I think.”

Fr O'Mahony described Pope Leo, who conducted his first mass as pontiff yesterday, as a “very stable, very calm person who thinks things through very deeply”.

He also said that the new Pope was “very very bright” and nobody's “fool”, adding Pope Leo is “stronger than he seems” and that he'll be able to make difficult and challenging decisions.