Portrait of the first American Pope: Leo XIV
- HORIZON
- May 1
- 4 min read
By Sabrina Harper
FOLLOWING THE TRANSITION of Pope Francis to his eternal reward, speculations by Catholic commentators, priests, bishops, journalists, laypeople, including myself, thought that “we’d never have a pope from the United States.” This mantra was repeated as preparations were being made for the conclave. Even Father Bob, as Pope Leo XIV was known by friends and parishioners in Chicago, believed that his fellow cardinals would not elect him. This election surprised the throng of curious and faithful alike. But, as hindsight confirms, this is exactly what happened. The college of cardinals, reading the signs of the times, elected Cardinal Robert Prevost as the pope on May 8, 2025. And so, Father Bob became Pope Leo XIV.