ATLANTA — People across metro Atlanta are not only celebrating a new Pope, but also the very first American to be named pontiff.
Cardinal Robert Prevost, originally from Chicago, will now be known as Pope Leo XIV.
The excitement over the news could be felt at the Cathedral of Christ the King on Thursday night.
Catholic Stephanie Temgho, who is from France but now resides in Atlanta, says Pope Leo XVI’s diverse background is what excites her the most.
“Many people can see themselves in the new pope,” Temgho told Channel 2’s Brittany Kleinpeter.
Habu Jose, who’s from Chicago, told Kleinpeter that he had met then-Cardinal Robert Prevost.
“I saw Bob once. He came to our church, St. Emily. We’re excited,” Jose said.
Melissa John said she shares a birthday with the new pope.
“I’ll pray for him more and more now,” she said.
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Susan Reynolds, assistant professor of Catholic studies at Emory University, said Pope Leo’s French and Italian descent, combined with his American and Peruvian roots, could become his greatest tool in unifying the Church.
“He has this transnational identity. Trans-hemispheric, really. North America, South America, and then also Europe. That, in some ways, embodies something fundamental about the Catholic Church,” Reynolds said.
She said that Pope Leo has also not been shy about commenting on American policies.
“He’s an American, but he’s an insider-outsider. When he was just a cardinal, he was very critical of JD Vance’s take on migration and the Trump administration’s policies on mass deportation,” Reynolds said.
The professor said the election of this pope says a lot about the direction of the Church and the future of its leadership.
“There’s a real possibility that in my lifetime, or your lifetime, we’ll see an African or Asian pope,” Reynolds said.
The announcement of Pope Leo’s election has left people wanting to know more about him.
“I think it’s fantastic that we have a new person in here. He’s full of love,” Pepe Serafin told Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco.
Serafin picked his daughter up from St. Pius X High School where people of all ages watched the process unfold on Thursday.
“When we heard about the white smoke in Religion, for my period, we were all like, ‘Put it on! Put it on! Put it on!’ Because it was this really big moment for our generation to finally see a pope elected,” daughter and student Maria Jose said.
Santiago Marquez is the on CEO of metro-Atlanta’s Latin American Association and is closely connected to the Catholic community.
“Once I heard him speak, started tearing up, being a Hispanic American,” Marquez said. “I never thought we’d see an American pope.”
Marquez said the pope’s choice to intentionally speak Spanish during his election speech is significant at a time when immigration challenges can be divisive in the U.S.
“People could be facing a lot of challenges, communities can be facing challenges, but there’s always hope,” Marquez said. “I think everybody needs it.”
A ceremonial mass will be held next week to formally install Pope Leo.
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