In the first edition of our 2025 E-Newsletter, published in March, we featured the theme “Pope Francis and the Hope of Asia.” In the Theology and Spiritual section of that issue, we included an article titled “What It Costs to Be Pope Francis,” written by Fr. Felix Wilfred—an insightful piece shedding light on how Pope Francis was perceived and treated from a different perspective.
Pope Francis has been a central figure in the journey of ALL Forum’s E-Newsletter since its launch in 2020. Many of our editions have highlighted his exemplary leadership, particularly his call for a Synodal Church—a Church that walks together with its people. His passing on April 21, 2025, brought deep sorrow and a profound sense of loss, especially among Catholics who found hope in his thoughts and leadership—leadership that consistently stood with the marginalized. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church must continue on—choosing a new pope who is expected to carry on the meaningful legacy of Pope Francis.
On May 8, 2025, the world welcomed Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, from Chicago, United States, as the new pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Leo XIV. His election has brought renewed hope, with the expectation that he will continue Pope Francis’s reforms and become a beacon of hope for Catholics around the world, especially in Asia.
This edition of the e-newsletter embraces a theme full of hope and challenges: “Pope Leo XIV and the Hope of Asia.” For the Church in Asia, which grows amid cultural diversity, religious pluralism, and complex social realities, Pope Leo XIV is seen as a new hope to encourage the Catholic Church to become more inclusive, prophetic, and deeply rooted in the life of its people.
In this edition, under the Voice of Asian Youth section, we feature two articles by young Asians expressing their hopes for Pope Leo XIV’s papal leadership. Aligned with this theme, in the Theology & Spirituality section, Johnson Siluvaipillai reflects on the model of soft power leadership embodied by Pope Francis throughout his papacy—a model that could serve as a guide for the Church of the future. This is also in line with the Message of the Month by Dr. Paul Hwang, titled “The Pastoral Tasks of the New Pope Leo XIV and Asia.”
In this issue, as Asian Catholics, we are invited to share in the hope and walk together with the Church in Asia, following the papal example of Pope Francis and also that of Pope Leo XIV.
Enjoy reading!
