Leo XIV’s Election Sparks Pride Among Americans Of All Faiths
WASHINGTON – It was the white plume of smoke seen around the world that ushered in a new pope – and the reaction that the new head of the Catholic Church is an American sparked reaction from across the country.
Everyone on Thursday had something to say about Cardinal Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV.
The new pope, who hails from Chicago’s South Side, had made history as the first Roman pontiff in the church’s 2,000-year history to be born in the United States — something not lost on American Catholics.
READ: Full Text Of Pope Leo XIV’s First Address
“I never thought in my life that I would see an American pope,” said Susan Creiger, a retired U.S. Park Ranger who attends St. Jerome Catholic Church in Hyattsville, Maryland.
As Creiger unloaded her groceries, her son Joey, 47, had just heard the news.
“We have a pope!”he shouted. “I just hope that he can be a calming influence because there is a lot of anger in the world today.”
Dr. Cherie Ward, director of the Jim Vance Media Academy at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington D.C., echoed similar sentiments.
“I hope that the pope will bring a spirit of healing at a time when there is so much division in the world,” he said.
Prevost entered the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977, making his solemn vows in 1981. He earned a Bachelor of Science in math from Villanova University, a Master of Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
His missionary work in Peru from 1985 to 1986 and again in 1988 to 1998 included roles as a parish priest, diocesan official, seminary teacher and administrator. He served as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013 and Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, from 2015 to 2023.
While the polyglot Prevost, who was made a cardinal two years ago by Pope Francis, is now also the Bishop of Rome, no city was prouder of his election than his native Chicago.
Former President Barack Obama, writing on X, said: “Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith.”
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The new pope, a Chicago White Sox fan, was even honored with his own baseball card.
Regardless which baseball team he roots for, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called the elevation of Prevost to the papacy one of the biggest moments in the modern history of the city.
“Pope Leo XIV will be a champion for workers all over the world,” Johnson said. “It’s only right that he was born and educated in the most pro-worker city in America. The Catholic Church has a strong tradition of standing up for the poor and the vulnerable, and I know that Pope Leo XIV will continue that tradition. This is a tremendous moment for our Catholic community and all Chicagoans. God bless Chicago. God bless Pope Leo XIV.”
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ, an ecumenical partnership of 38 Christian faith groups, said Pope Leo XIV's election marks a “thrilling chapter” in Catholic history.
“We join our brothers in the ecumenical community in celebrating the election of an American pope,” McKenzie added. “The anticipation surrounding this new pope’s potential to address contemporary issues, social justice and environmental stewardship really can serve as a unifying force.”
George August Stallings. founder of the Imani Temple African American Catholic Congregation, said he is excited and hopeful about the selection of Pope Leo XIV.
“There has never been an American pope because the church has always centralized power of the Vatican and Rome,” Stallings said. “It has taken 1,000 years because there was always a fear in the Catholic church on what would happen if an American became pope, but I am very excited and hopeful Pope Leo will bring a balance to the church and he will be a strong pope.”
At the University of Notre Dame, President Robert A. Dowd held a special Mass of thanksgiving on the Catholic school’s campus to celebrate the new pope’s election.
“The Notre Dame community joins with the church worldwide in giving thanks and rejoicing in the election of Pope Leo XIV — the first American pope,” Father Dowd said. “We celebrate his work as a tireless missionary who has never hesitated to cross borders to announce the Gospel. A leader of vision, humility, and energy, he has inspired us with his compassion, generosity, and love for the people of God. As he begins his pontificate, we pray that Pope Leo will always be blessed with the wisdom, courage and fortitude he will need.”
Imam Talib Shareef, leader of Masjid Mosque in Washington D.C., said, “As an American and pope, he inherits the succession of those committed to peace, justice and the dignity of all human life. We join those in America and the many around the world in praying for his success as he begins responding to the need to reach across religious lines to build bridges of understanding and mutual respect.”
He added that as a Muslim he recognizes in the pope “a kindred spirit as one upholding the sacred values of mercy, compassion and service to the poor and marginalized. May God bless his efforts to be successful.”
Hamil R. Harris is a veteran journalist and Religion Unplugged correspondent based in Washington, D.C.