“My government looks forward to continuing Australia’s strong relationship with the Holy See under Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate,” he said. “This is a moment which will bring joy and hope to Catholics everywhere.”

Sydney Archbishop welcomes Leo’s ‘missionary heart’

“Like the late Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV will bring to the Church the experience of being part of a religious order with an emphasis on simplicity and community,” he said.

Fisher also described the Pope’s first public words as “very moving”, particularly his repeated affirmation that “God loves us all without any limits or conditions”.

Pope Leo as a ‘beacon of hope’

Catholic Social Services Australia executive director Jerry Nockles said his election came at a critical moment when the world yearned for compassionate leadership grounded in gospel values of justice, dignity and solidarity with the vulnerable.