Two Latin phrases are making headlines this May 2025, for very different reasons.

‘Habemus Papam’ announced the election of a new pope, while ‘habeas corpus’ has landed at the center of a heated immigration debate.

Habemus papam

• Literal Translation: "We have a pope."
• On May 8, 2025, these words were proclaimed from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV.
• The traditional announcement begins: Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus papam… ("I announce to you a great joy: we have a pope…").

Habeas corpus

• Literal Translation: "You shall have the body."
• This fundamental right is protected in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 9), which states that habeas corpus cannot be suspended "unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it."
• The full Latin phrase, Habeas corpus ad subjiciendum ("You shall have the body to be subjected [to examination]"), guarantees detained individuals the right to challenge their imprisonment in court.
• In May 2025, the White House began considering suspending habeas corpus for immigration cases, sparking intense debate about whether immigration enforcement meets the Constitution's strict criteria of "rebellion or invasion."
• Critics argue this would represent an unprecedented expansion of the government's power to detain people without judicial review.

Shared Latin Root

Both phrases use the Latin root word habere ("to have"), showing how this ancient language continues to shape both spiritual authority and fundamental legal rights in our modern world.