In heavily Catholic neighborhoods around Chicago, people are celebrating the election of the first U.S.-born pope, a native of Chicago.
Pope Leo XIV was elected on Thursday, May 8. Although Robert Francis Prevost grew up in the South Suburbs of Chicago, Catholics in the Pilsen neighborhood on the city’s west side embraced him as one of their own.
Michael Enright, pastor of St. Paul Catholic Church in Pilsen for 16 years, said he was “amazed” at the news that Prevost, who is 69, was the first pope from the United States.
Enright said he particularly admired Prevost’s educational background in canon law, as well as his time spent as a missionary in Peru, which he feels will help him advocate for immigrants feeling threatened under the current Trump administration.
“We’re having trouble with immigration a bit, around here,” Enright said. “A lot of people are running scared, because of immigration questions, and this guy is going to talk back to Trump. I think he’s going to be talking about human rights, justice, fairness, compassion, mercy and inclusion.”
Enright said these are all things that Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, April 21 at age 88, had embraced. “It’ll be a good moment for the church, and a good moment for the country,” he said.
Born in Chicago, Prevost grew up in Dolton, Illinois, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. He entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Saint Louis, in 1977, and went on to dedicate many years to studying theology, receiving his diploma in 1982 from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. He then studied canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University, followed by becoming ordained as a priest, and working as a missionary in Trujillo, Peru, for over a decade.
In a statement, The Archdiocese of Chicago said it joined the global church in celebrating the new pope. “As we unite in prayer and gratitude, we offer our unwavering support for his leadership.”
Chicago has a significant Catholic population. There are close to 2 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties, according to the archdiocese.
The new pope was selected by the College of Cardinals. The conclave takes place in Vatican City.
After four voting ballot sessions, Pope Leo XIV was elected in two days. It took two days for the 2013 papal conclave to elect Pope Francis. The cardinals held five ballots then.
Rick Pérez, from Pilsen, expressed appreciation for the process of appointing a pope, specifically the “community” that is formed in the process.
“I think it’s a good thing that they’re able to have a new leader once their pope isn’t there anymore, how they’re able to come together and come to an agreement within days,” Pérez said.
Zachary White, from the south suburbs of Chicago, had similar hopes for Prevost to continue Pope Francis’ “legacy of progressive values and reform of the Catholic church.”
“Probably similar to Pope Francis, coming from South America can offer a different perspective from the traditional European popes,” White said. “Hopefully, he can give voices to people that have not had representation and power in any sort of way, hopefully he can advocate for those that can’t advocate for themselves.”
Enright explained that the Pope’s name comes from the Latin translation of “Pontifex Maximus,” meaning “big bridge builder,” indicative of Prevost’s role.
“He’s supposed to be building bridges across cultures, countries, languages and national identities, to help the whole world hear the message of Jesus Christ,” Enright said, “of redemption, salvation, joy and peace, all of the things that are in the Christian message. It’s his job, and I think he’s going to be very good at that job.”
Enright said he is hopeful for the impact it will have on a global scale.
“I think there are so many ways that our 2025 western culture and American culture needs healing,” Enright said. “If he just figures out a way to transmit the Catholic church’s teachings about a lot of these things, it’ll be a blessing.”
Copy edited by Patience Hurston
