He’s watched Conclave, he’s a White Sox fan, and he’s an avid tennis player—but what’s really important to Catholics about Pope Leo XIV? We interviewed nine local Catholics—including a pastor, a nun, and M-A students—to find out.
Leo, born Robert Prevost, was elected pope on the fourth ballot on May 8, 2025. “It was actually really quick, so that indicates quick consensus among the electors, which I think is a positive, reassuring sign,” Father Mark Doherty, a pastor at the Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park, said.
“I’m excited and hopeful. I love the name that he’s chosen,” Melanie Talakai, a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Church in East Palo Alto, said. By choosing the name, Leo joins a legacy of reformers who valued the Church’s social teachings.
Notably, Leo is American, which made him a long-shot candidate. “Originally, I was kind of nervous about him being American. It’s usually said that you’d never have an American pope because America has a big cultural influence already, so having an American pope would be maybe too much influence for the U.S.,” JP Mitiguy, a volunteer at St. Raymond’s, said. “But he seems like a really thoughtful, smart, kind guy.”
“We never thought there would be an American pope, but I think it’s nice because we’re part of the human race, so why not be included?” Angie Robbiano, a parishioner at St. Raymond’s Church in Menlo Park, said.
“I think it’s interesting that he’s American because in the Catholic religion, everything is centered in Europe and especially Italy. I think it’s good representation, because a lot of Americans, and also Latin Americans, are Catholic,” Catholic sophomore Mackenzie Morales said.
Though the first pope from the U.S., Leo continues the Church’s history of electing popes from similar backgrounds. “Representation in the Catholic Church has been hard,” Catholic senior Sofia Basso said. “When you think of Catholicism, you think of Europe and America. You don’t really think of the other countries that have Catholic people in them. There were some prospects from Asia and Africa—maybe that would have been better. We could have gotten some more voices.”
Though originally from Chicago, Leo spent the better part of two decades living in Peru as a missionary. As part of his appointment to Bishop of Chiclayo, he became a naturalized citizen in 2015. “He’s a very international figure who knows five or six languages, so while I was a little nervous, by now, I’m much more hopeful,” Mitiguy added.
“It’s amazing that he’s American, but I’m more excited about the person that he is, rather than where he’s from,” Becky, a parishioner at the Church of the Nativity, said. “The fact that he is carrying on a lot of Pope Francis’ mission, particularly social justice and all those things that we need to think about as a church moving forward, is exciting.”
Francis was a famously progressive leader, and many hope Leo will follow suit. In a recent address to cardinals, Leo praised Francis’ work and dedication, promising to continue his legacy. “We’re happy because we see that he continues the work of Pope Francis,” Sister Isabel, a nun at St. Francis of Assisi Church, said. “He invites us to keep working as a unified church. We are a missionary church and we need to worry for others.”
“I think progressives should be very happy,” Jesuit and Economics teacher Jack Neumeier said. “As someone who sees Catholicism as something that can be really good for the most marginalized people, I’m pretty happy.”
“He’s going to be very similar to the great Pope Francis, which means we’re going to be worrying about everyone, which is what Christ wanted us to do—to take care of everyone,” Robbiano said. “It seems like that’s the way he’s going to be, caring for the world, which is what we need to do.”
“Leo stressed in his opening message on the balcony that as Christ is the Pontifex, the bridge-builder, the Pope is also a bridge-builder,” Doherty said. “In an era where there seems to be a lot of fracturing and fraying of bonds and connections, I think he’s indicated that bridge-building will be important for him.”
“He’s pretty progressive, which is good and what I was hoping for,” Basso said. “But I dislike the fact that he is not in the mood to be around gay people because he really is not that progressive when it comes to LGBTQ issues.” Leo has yet to make clear his stance on queer Catholics but has a history of anti-LGBTQ views.
Leo has rejected artificial intelligence and, like most cardinals, expressed pro-life views. He was a member of the anti-abortion club at Villanova University, his alma mater. “His first introduction as pope, talking about his ban against AI and his stand for human dignity is something that I’m very hopeful about,” Talakai said. “I’m also hopeful for his stance on human life, especially for the unborn.”
Policy, legacy, and identity may be the top issues for most Catholics, but personality still counts. “I think it’s pretty cool that he has dual citizenship and that he’s a Sox fan instead of a Cubs fan,” Neumeier said.
