The College of Cardinals of the Catholic Church on Thursday elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th pope, succeeding Pope Francis.
A Chicago native, Prevost is the first pope from the United States and follows Pope Francis as leader of the worldwide church.
Before being elected pope, Prevost, 69, served as the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and briefly as Apostolic Administrator of Callao. Pope Francis named Prevost a cardinal in 2023.
Pope Francis died April 21 and the conclave to elect a new pope convened Wednesday.
The first pope from the United States, Prevost took the name Pope Leo XIV, a name which “reflects his reading of the signs of the times,” said Archbishop of San Antonio Gustavo García-Siller.
“He is close to the realities of a world touched by division and strife. He brings now the message of the Risen Christ: Peace be with you,” the archbishop said in a statement. “He is continuing the pastoral work of Pope Francis. Pope Leo XIV is a man of profound faith and charity who will lead us to build unity of all men and women.”
Archbishop García-Siller will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving for the new Holy Father at San Fernando Cathedral starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
The name Leo extends from a long line of popes starting with St. Leo the Great, a pope of the Catholic Church from 440 to 461 — and the name given to St. Leo the Great Catholic Church of San Antonio, established about a century ago at 4401 S. Flores St.
Saint Leo was known as one of the most influential and effective popes of the ancient church, according to Ascension Press.
Pope Leo XIII, whose papacy ended in 1903, is recognized for his writings on the renewal of Christian philosophy and social teachings, and for the encyclical Rerum novarum, in which he outlined the rights of workers to a fair wage, safe working conditions and the formation of trade unions.
He did that by mining the riches of Catholic tradition, said Jason King, director for the Center of Catholic Studies at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.
“That’s a really good sign,” he said. “I think Francis did that. So I just see this as bridging a whole bunch of different groups, which is really what you want.”
The choice of a pope who hails from a country with already overwhelming global dominance caught King and many others by surprise. Of the over a billion Catholics in the world, there are 53 million Catholics in the U.S.
It can only mean that he is popular and respected among church leaders, King said.
“He must have been pretty well-liked to overcome that sort of caution and that worry,” he said. “I would read it as a kind of testament to overcome that worry.”
In his first address at St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV spoke of humanity needing Christ like a bridge to reach God and His love.
King expects the new pope will continue his predecessor’s approach to global affairs, building relationships across countries and attending to migrant issues.
The Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio also celebrated the historic selection.
“We joyously welcome Pope Leo XIV as our newly named Holy Father,” a social media post stated. “May his leadership be illuminated by the Holy Spirit as he takes on the mantle to guide, unite, and lead the Catholic Church.”
