By The first pope born in the United States was elected on Thursday, May 8, by 133 cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. The new pope, former Cardinal Robert Prevost, chose the name Leo XIV.
Leo XIV succeeds Pope Francis, who, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died on April 21. Now, Leo has taken over the reins in leading the church’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
“I’m delighted to welcome Pope Leo the 14th and honor to pledge my love and obedience to our new holy father,” said Archbishop of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, José Horacio Gómez.
Gomez spoke on a YouTube livestream at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
The new pope now has some hot-topic issues to face stepping into the position including ordained women in the church, the LGBTQ+ community, sexual abuse scandals and global issues such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
Prevost was born in Chicago, Illinois, on Sept. 14, 1955. Early in his church career, he was a member of the Order of Saint Augustine and served in Peru as part of an Augustinian mission during the 80s and 90s.
He was made a cardinal in 2023 by Francis. Before his appointment, he served as the Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023.
Screenwriting major and Catholic student, Jacob Gogue, said he believes the election of Leo XIV was a sign from the church about the United States.
Gogue said it feels like there is “…a suggestion within the Catholic Church, that America is in dire need of guidance.”
He said if the new pontiff leans in Pope Francis’ direction, it could help transform Catholicism in the United States away from regressive beliefs.
Carlos Elias Avila, a 20 year-old second-year computer engineering major said, Catholic-Americans would probably feel more represented and seen with the election of Leo XIV.
“I feel like seeing Pope Francis was a big deal, and I feel like for Americans, they will see a lot more of a different perspective that maybe we could relate to, for sure,” Avila said.
Joshua Ruiz, a fourth-year mathematics major, said he hopes the new pope can follow in his predecessor’s footsteps.
“I just hope that the Pope is more, how can we say, his values align more along with, like Pope Francis, for example, who is more open and more forward thinking, if you will,” Ruiz said. “As opposed to conservative thinking.”
