ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Millions of people around the world are celebrating the announcement of the new pope leading the Catholic Church.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.
Parishioners in St. Augustine at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine said it marks a new and hopeful era for the Catholic Church.
“It’s emotional, and I’m very pleased that we have an American pope,” parishioner Bea Blessley said.
Blessley recalled her phone being flooded with texts and calls when the news broke Thursday.
She attended the 7 a.m. Mass on Friday to join fellow churchgoers, all displaying smiles and sharing a positive outlook on the new pontiff.
“We need a leader for the church, and that’s the pope,” Blessley said. “It’s just like every Catholic, not just here, but everywhere. It’s a global thing.”
Blessley also highlighted Pope Leo XIV’s impressive resume.
He previously served as the Archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and was the head of the Augustinian order. In 2023, he was appointed to the Vatican as a cardinal and took charge of the office responsible for vetting bishop nominations.
As parishioners arrived for mass at the Basilica, they were greeted by a sign at the front door proclaiming Pope Leo XIV as the “first American pope.”
“The fact that he’s a canon lawyer is important to me because he really understands all of the rules and regulations of the church,” David Ussery, a visitor from Colorado, said.
Ussery is visiting his friend, Father Mac Hill, who oversees the congregation at the basilica.
Ussery also mentioned that he followed the conclave closely, and with this new selection, he hopes for a centralist and balanced pope.
“We had our first Catholic mass in North America here in 1565,” Ussery said. “There’s a personal connection for a lot of our Catholic parishioners at this basilica and also in St. Augustine in general.”
