The first pope from the United States is celebrated by the first Archdiocese in the United States.
Bells rang overhead as some of the Baltimore faithful walked into the Cathedral of Mary our Queen on a warm May evening. Baltimore is the oldest Catholic diocese in the United States.
“Shocked that we had an American Pope — an American born pope — so that was really amazing,” said 70 year-old Larry Glose, a parishioner at St. Phillip and James in Baltimore, on his way to mass on Thursday night.
Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago, making him the first U.S. born pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church. Taking on the regnal name of Pope Leo XIV, he was elected by 133 cardinals to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Brandon Williams, a former Baltimore parishioner who now lives in Pennsylvania, hopes that Leo XIV will have a willingness to reach “both sides.”
For two decades, Prevost served in Peru, including as a missionary, teacher, priest and also bishop. The new pope also holds Peruvian citizenship, after he was naturalized during his time living there.
“I've been praying for the new pope, anyway, whoever that might be. So I feel confident this is who God chose for this time, for this people,” said Christine Manlove, 75, who is also “thrilled” to have an American pope. When asked what issue she thought is most important for the Church, she said, “Unity among Christians and other faiths, in terms of respecting other faiths.”
Seen by many as ideologically aligned with the late Pope Francis, he has spoken frequently about his commitment to the poor and migrants.
“I think that there will be continuity with the papacy of Pope Francis, but I would also suspect that he will do it in his own way. In fact, that's the only way you can do that job,” said Archbishop William Lori in an interview after mass. The archbishop doesn’t see the new pope as “ideological” but instead as “someone who deeply loves the Lord and… accepts what the Church believes and teaches” and can put that teaching in a way that is “embracing, compassionate, welcoming.”
Lori has met Prevost a number of times.
“I think what really remained in my mind and heart was the way he engaged on both occasions.. he would listen and engage,” said Lori. “But he was light-hearted also, in the conversation, it was very, very human and nice and beautiful.”
Like other cardinals in the Church, Prevost has drawn criticism for the way he has handled priests accused of abuse. Lori said he was unfamiliar with those claims.
“I am very confident that he will drive forward what Pope Benedict began and Pope Francis has continued to ensure that the church weeds this out of our ranks, that we have a very safe environment for our young people, that we hold those who perpetrate accountable,” said Lori.
Around 1,000 people have filed claims against the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore for compensation related to cases of alleged sexual abuse.
Much will remain to be seen about the tone set for the future of the Roman Catholic Church as Leo XIV begins his papacy. Much has been made of regnal names in the past, Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) is recognized by many Catholics as the “father” of the church’s modern social justice teaching. His 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum focused on issues of social inequality and justice, noting that both workers and laborers have rights and social responsibilities. His work was critical of both capitalism and communism.
