Sutaj Estok: Election of Pope on Anniversary of End Of WW2 More Than Symbolic

Bratislava, May 9 (TASR) - I consider it more than symbolic that the cardinals elected the new pope on the day we commemorate the victory over fascism, stated Interior Minister and Voice-SD party leader Matus Sutaj Estok on social media on Thursday evening responding to the election of Robert Francis Prevost as the head of the Catholic Church. "The world, as well as Slovakia, believes that the new pope, like Pope Francis, will strive for peace in Ukraine, Gaza, and around the world. The words of Leo XIV about peace and the need for dialogue are exactly what today's times truly need," stated Sutaj Estok. According to the interior minister, Slovakia, despite being a small country, has always had a close relationship with the popes. "I believe, therefore, that Pope Leo XIV will be as close to Slovakia as his predecessors, and Slovakia will be close to the new pope," added the minister. American Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected on Thursday by the conclave as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church. The newly elected pope has taken the name Leo XIV. Leo XIV is the first pope from the United States. According to his biography on the Vatican's website, he was born in Chicago in 1955. Until now, he has served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops since January 2023 and previously as Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. He's a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, in which he previously held the post of prior general. lin