North Texas Catholics celebrate the news of a new pope
North Texas Catholics celebrate the news of a new pope
University of Dallas students rushed to the union on Thursday as the word spread that white smoke was billowing from the smokestack above the Sistine Chapel. It was standing room as the next pope to lead the world?s 1.4 billion Catholics was revealed.
DALLAS - Dozens of students poured into the University of Dallas' student union on Thursday to witness history being made.
They joined people from across the globe who celebrated, chanted, prayed, and shed tears of joy as the first American pope was announced.
Pope Leo XIV
What we know:
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was selected just before noon locally, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.
The 69-year-old cardinal was born in Chicago and is a dual Peruvian citizen. He served in Peru as a bishop and archbishop for years.
He was then summoned to Rome by Pope Francis in 2023 as head of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Robert Prevost becomes 1st American to be Pope: Here's why there are few non-European pontiffs
Robert Prevost's election as the new pope marks the first time a person from the United States was selected as the head of the Roman Catholic faith. Here's what to know about where previous popes came from, and why an American pontiff was considered to be unlikely, until now.
Local perspective:
Emotion, excitement, and expectation filled the atmosphere at the University of Dallas on Thursday.
Students rushed to the student union as the word spread that white smoke was billowing from the smokestack above the Sistine Chapel.
It was standing room only in the Catholic college’s union as the next pope to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics was revealed.
Many students and staff knelt in prayer while Pope Leo XIV pronounced his first blessing over the Catholic Church.
They joined in with the singing outside the Vatican as the national anthem was played in honor of the first American-born pope in the church’s 2,000-year history.
What they're saying:
Dr. Susan Hanssen is a papacy historian at the University of Dallas.
"I’m very surprised at how quick it was. And I’m very surprised at how quickly the cardinals gathered around not one of the top, not one of the frontrunners in the eyes of the media, but instead Cardinal Prevost," she said.
Hanssen described Pope Leo as a low-key, reflective, and spiritual man.
"I think that he's going to be a kind of low-key figure. You can already see him tearing up at the prospect of being pope. He's not one of these strong, charismatic, outgoing cardinals. He's been in the background. He's an Augustinian monk, and the spirituality of the Augustinians is very interior and reflective. And so he's very much of the missionary spirit. But I don't think we're going to see the kind of booming voice of John Paul the Second or the gregarious sense of humor of Pope Francis," she said.
Pope Leo XIV: Texas leaders react to American cardinal elected as new pope
Local and state leaders responded to the news of a new American pope being selected on Thursday.
Several students shared their emotional thoughts with FOX 4.
"This is a very historic moment and the fact that we are all here as a community to witness this moment and just feel the Holy Spirit in this room," said student Jessica Josefsberg.
J.P. St. Pierre was excited as a fellow Peruvian-American.
"And as a Peruvian, I mean, this is incredible. My mom, half of my family, is from Lima. Peru-born and raised. I mean, it’s extremely emotional," he said.
Others said they are praying for what the new leader of the Catholic Church will be.
"A pope that smells like his sheep, a humble pope, and somebody to continue on the legacy of love and of universality just as Pope Francis did," said Gabrielle Nagle.
"Just have a symbol of unity for us and a voice that we can all look to and listen to for guidance," added Max Muth.
The Source: FOX 4's Shaun Rabb gathered the information for this story while at a papal watch party on the University of Dallas campus.