'The Church is in good hands', says Pope Leo's Macroom-based friend  

A Macroom resident was beaming with pride last Thursday as he watched his close schoolfriend announced as the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV.

Tony Condon’s friendship with the new Pope, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, goes back to when they first met in September 1972 while attending St Augustine Seminary High School in Michigan in the US.

Mr Condon, who has lived in Macroom since 2006, has kept in regular with now Pope Leo XIV, largely through video calls and also occasional in-person meetings. He has been in with the new pontiff since he was elected.

Speaking to The Echo, Mr Condon described the moment of joy when he found out his friend had become the new Pope.

“I was just in shock! A humble, kind person. The Church is in good hands,” said Mr Condon.

“We went over to see him become cardinal a year and a half ago in 2023. That was something else, but now this — it is just unreal.

“We were shocked and delighted for him. We had tears in our eyes too, of happiness and joy.

“He is going to give it his all [as Pope]. He is very measured and very analytical. Yet the other side of him is very social as well and very aware of what is around him.”

Hasn't changed 

Mr Condon said Pope Leo has remained “the same person I knew since high school”.

“He hasn’t changed,” Mr Condon said. 

“He is hard working, smart as can be, and doing missionary work. Now his mission is the Catholics around the world. He is such a good guy, but he is our friend as well. So to see him become Pope, it is amazing.”

Fondly recalling the earliest memories of his friendship with Pope Leo XIV, Mr Condon said: “He was smart, a straight A student, but he was well rounded, very personable. He was always kind and always willing to listen.

“He played sports, we all played sports in high school. I in softball, Chicago-style softball, the ball is 16 inches and you don’t use gloves. He hit a home run, and everybody was shocked, including him! He was just delighted.”

Mr Condon said the new Pope fully intends to keep in with him: “He doesn’t know how yet, but we will continue our video conferencing. We don’t know when or how, but he will try to make it happen.”