In May 2025, the world was awash in a fascinating tapestry of events across religious, military, and artistic timelines. One of them was the election of the first-ever Pope Leo XIV, who should be the 267th Roman Catholic pontiff. He was chosen at the Vatican on May 8th. During that ceremony, as a way to signal great change and reform, he made the revolutionary move of selecting the name Pope Leo XIV, shocking Catholics worldwide. Only days later, on May 11, he moved to the top of the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in order to lead the Regina Caeli prayer. He emboldened the faithful by preaching fiery sermons of faith and fortitude.
Pope Leo XIV’s first papal Mass was a historic occasion. During the Mass, he gave a tremendously personal homily focused on compassion, peace, and love. His leadership will largely determine the Church’s direction in the coming years. This impact is undoubtedly most crucial with global tensions growing high.
The conflict between India and Pakistan deteriorated dramatically by early May. As of May 10, the Indian army was still forced to respond to new incursions by Pakistani forces across the border. The widening of conflicts between criminal groups and regional destabilization has created alarm over regional stability. Sensational video has been leaked, showing dramatic Indian raids on Pakistani targets. In the meantime, Pakistan has been busy claiming missile strikes supposedly fired from India. As the conflict goes further out of control, many observers around the world are calling for de-escalation.
In national news, a horrible crash took place that weekend on May 19. The Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc was passing under the Brooklyn Bridge in lower Manhattan. The crash caused considerable damage to both the ship and the bridge. In the aftermath, mourners placed flowers and flags at a gate near the damaged vessel, reflecting on the event’s impact.
Later that week, tragedy struck in the border town of Cúcuta, Colombia, when 22-year-old university student and model Angie Pérez Ibarra was killed. The details of what happened to her are foggy. This event has highlighted the gravity of these issues both in terms of violence and security and in wider social-spatial processes within Colombia’s urban centers.
Even as the West was celebrating with them, Russia had something else in mind. They celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in WW2. President Vladimir Putin used last week’s elaborate Victory Day parade to flaunt Russia’s military prowess, all while fanning the flames of national pride and historical memory.
Lastly, in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made headlines when he arrived at a polling station in Box Hill North, Melbourne, on May 3. His presence brought to light the exciting, on-the-ground electoral work as citizens mobilized to be engaged in their first national elections.
