Fort Worth Catholic leaders, laity celebrate election of first American pope, Leo XIV

Tears swelled in Nancy Eder’s eyes when she found out Robert F. Prevost was elected as the Vatican’s first American pope and would take the name Leo XIV.

On May 8, Prevost walked out of the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, dressed in papal regalia and insignia. On the same day, Eder’s grandson — also named Leo — decided to wear a suit in celebration of his 14th birthday.

“I’m just delighted that the pope has been chosen and that it’s an American pope, which is truly unbelievable,” Eder, a devout Fort Worth Catholic who received an award from Pope Francis prior to his death in April, said.

Eder is one of many laypeople around the world celebrating the announcement of the Roman Catholic Church’s 267th pope on the second day of the papal conclave.

“Peace be with all of you,” Prevost said in Italian May 8, his first public words as Pope Francis’ successor. He spoke in Spanish during his address, emphasizing a message of peace, dialogue and missionary evangelization, according to Associated Press reporting.

Robert F. Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago, Illinois, to parents of French, Italian and Spanish descent, according to Vatican News, the official “news portal of the Holy See.”

Before the late Pope Francis made Prevost a cardinal last year, the missionary spent a majority of his clerical life ministering in Peru, where he also holds citizenship. He served as bishop of Chiclayo, a city in Peru, from 2015 to 2023.

Prevost previously served in other leadership roles in the Catholic Church under Francis, such as the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Prevost has been described by colleagues as representing a “dignified middle of the road” when it comes to divisive issues within the church, according to The New York Times. He has previously expressed support for outreach to migrants and the poor, as well as concern about the environment.

As an American religious leader who spent his priesthood in South America, Pope Leo XIV has a “grasp of two distinct but yet strong cultures that influence our life as the church in the United States, here in Texas especially,” said Fort Worth Catholic Bishop Michael Olson.

Olson, like the new pope, served as a young seminarian and priest in the suburbs of Chicago. Aside from their differing opinions on Chicago baseball teams — Olson is a proud White Sox fan and Pope Leo XIV reportedly cheers for the Chicago Cubs — he is “joyful and I’m grateful for this moment,” Olson said.

“He’s lived that experience as a pastor, and that is so invaluable for us in this world today that is so fragmented by wars and by polarization,” Olson said. “Hopefully he will serve as a catalyst for the church in the United States, all of us to be servant leaders for the gospel in the world today.”

The Rev. Msgr. Joseph S. Scantlin of the Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Arlington said he has followed several papal elections in his lifetime. He described Pope Leo XIV’s appointment as “a very good fit.”

“It’s going to be a new thing, but I think a very good thing,” Scantlin said. “What an honor to have somebody from our country be chosen for that office to serve the whole world as the spiritual leader.”

Catholic Charities Fort Worth CEO and President Michael Iglio said the nonprofit “joyfully welcomes” the new pontiff. Among other services, the organization operates the Texas Office for Refugees, distributing hundreds of millions in federal funds intended to support people resettling across the state.

“We pray for his leadership and reaffirm our commitment to serve the poor and vulnerable with compassion, guided by faith and hope as we relentlessly work to end poverty, one family at a time,” Iglio said in a statement.

Kasey Whitley, Catholic Charities Fort Worth’s director of parish social ministry, said it was “really special” when Prevost chose the name Leo, which she views as a nod to Pope Leo XIII’s work supporting the poor and workers rights.

“I felt like that sent a message that our new pope was going to have a real special care and concern for the poor,” Whitley said. “And that was a very hopeful message.”

Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter @marissaygreene. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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