Americans are celebrating and speaking out after the US cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who will be known as Pope Leo XIV, was announced as the next pope.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after the pope, who was born in Chicago, appeared on the Vatican balcony in Rome on Thursday.
JD Vance, the US vice-president, congratulated the pope and said he was “sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”
The Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson, said on X about Prevost’s appointment: “Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon.”
Illinois’s governor, JB Pritzker, called this pope’s appointment “a historic moment as we witness the first American leading the Catholic Church”.
“Hailing from Chicago, Pope Leo XIV ushers in a new chapter that I join those in our state welcoming in at a time when we need compassion, unity, and peace,” he said.
Meanwhile, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy on Chicago’s North Side, screams of “Habemus papam!” echoed throughout the cafeteria.
Seventh-grader Vincent Wall and eighth-grader Ava Broz were in the cafeteria where students were waving US and Chicago flags.
“It really feels like a 2016 Cubs World series,” said Wall, referring to the North Side baseball team that endured a long drought before a triumphant victory in 2016. “It’s just, like, a pope from Chicago is just global and so is the World Series. It’s crazy.”
Allison Foerster, who teaches Spanish and religion at the school, found out the pope’s identity while monitoring recess. Earlier this week, she had students take part in a mock conclave, with younger students playing cardinals.
“For our students now, they’re connecting it back to what they saw on Tuesday,” Foerster said. “They immediately knew what part of the process it was. So they knew it was a moment of joy and a moment of celebration.”
For Broz and Wall, they are also hoping Pope Leo make a visit to his home town.
“I feel like we’ll have a connection because we know what Chicago is, like what they strive to do and what their understanding of life is, and I feel like he’ll incorporate that as pope,” Broz said.
The president of Villanova University, where the new pope graduated in 1977, the Rev Peter M Donohue, said in a statement: “We celebrate this significant day for our University community and the global Church. Villanova, built on the teachings of St Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason – between spirituality and wisdom.
“With today’s election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, I cannot help but reflect on what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our University community and our world. Known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence and warmth, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership offers an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our educational mission.”
Back on social media, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who is a conservative Catholic, said in a statement: “The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff.”
The US embassy to the Holy See also lauded the new pope on X: “With joy we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the first Pope from the United States of America.”
The archdiocese of Detroit issued a statement on behalf of Archbishop Edward J Weisenburger to WXYZ, reading in part: “Pope Leo XIV’s election leaves me exceptionally joyful, and I must humbly acknowledge that I did not anticipate a United States citizen would be elected Pope. His lifetime of ministry includes many years of ministry as a bishop in Peru, giving him a thorough understanding of South America. Moreover, his close association with Pope Francis, history of charitable efforts for the poor and marginalized, extensive prior experience in the Vatican, and personal humility are all qualities that perhaps focused the light of Christ upon him for his brother Cardinals to see.”
The official House Republicans account on X, which pointed out that the new pope is both “a native of Chicago, Illinois”, and the “first American Pope”, wrote: “May God bless you, and may He guide you.”
Joaquin Castro, a Texas representative, called Pope Leo XIV “a Pope reflective of the late Pope Francis’ creed to be choose [sic] light over darkness, to be kind to our neighbor, and to work to uplift and unify all people in a divided world” on X.
The New York governor, Kathy Hochul, posted on X: “The prayers of millions of Catholics around the globe are with you to guide the church forward and be a strong champion for compassion and dignity.”
Around the world, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said: “Ukraine deeply values the Holy See’s consistent position in upholding international law, condemning the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians” in a statement on X.
“At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine’s efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace,” he continued.
