North Texas’ Catholic community reacted with surprise and excitement to Thursday’s news that Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.
Related:Watch live coverage: Who is the new pope? American Robert Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV
Prevost, 69, an American missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and led the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, took the name Leo XIV.
Ron Rombs, dean and director of the University of Dallas Rome Program, said he was in his office at the University of Dallas’ Rome campus when he heard the news of the white smoke. He began frantically texting with friends and colleagues, swapping guesses about who the next pope would be, and said the announcement felt “electrifying.”
“That there would be a native-born American pope is really hard to imagine — I would say the chances of that were almost zero,” he said.
Rafael McDonnell, communications and advocacy manager for Dallas LGBTQ organization Resource Center, was watching from a hotel room the news of the new pope’s announcement.
American Robert Prevost now Pope Leo XIV, selected as successor to Pope Francis
View GalleryHe said he and his partner changed their vacation plans for the afternoon after hearing about the white smoke coming from the Vatican.
“They’ve certainly picked somebody, who at least at some level, is a continuation of Pope Francis,” McDonnell said. “But at the other level, I think the Cardinals have made a point, by picking a U.S. Cardinal, of saying — we’re watching what you’re doing.”
Matt Kramer, CEO of the Catholic Foundation, said the election of an American pope was surprising, especially since Prevost was not on many shortlists for the papacy.
Kramer said he felt the cardinals made their choice with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
“The Lord did His work. So that part’s not a surprise,” Kramer said. “We’re looking forward to the reign of Leo XIV.”
Kramer also said it is exciting to see how closely the rest of the world — Catholic or not — is following the election of the new pope.
White smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel chimney at 11:07 a.m. Dallas time, and the great bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled Thursday, signaling that a pontiff had been elected to lead the Catholic Church.
The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers, priests made the sign of the cross and nuns wept as the crowd shouted, “Viva il papa!” after the white smoke wafted into the late afternoon sky.
The former pope, Francis, brought Prevost, 69, to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. As a result, Prevost had a prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals had.
Prevost, a Chicago native, is also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.
He presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms Francis made, when he added three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope. In early 2025, Francis again showed his esteem by appointing Prevost to the most senior rank of cardinals, suggesting he would at least be Francis’ choice in any future conclave.
Adrian Ashford covers faith and religion in North Texas for The Dallas Morning News through a partnership with Report for America.
