Pope Leo XIV, First American Pontiff, Will Face a Fractured American Church

Timothy Broglioarchbishop

Certainly, we rejoice that a son of this nation has been chosen by the cardinals, but we recognize that he now belongs to all Catholics and to all people of good will,

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement

He’s an American with a global perspective, but he’s an American,

Father Dowd said

A pope from the U.S. is in some ways a sign of our coming into our own in global Catholicism,

she wrote in an email, calling his election “an extraordinary gift” to the life of the American church

What hasn’t happened yet is the opportunity to enter into a real dialogue,

Mr. Martin said

It’s wonderful news, it’s amazing,

said Curtis Martin, founder of the American-based Catholic ministry FOCUS, about the selection of an American pope

Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election!”

he wrote

I think Pope Leo might be able to lead that.”

He added

Together, we must try to find out how to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges, establishes dialogue, that’s always open to receive — like on this piazza with open arms — to be able to receive everybody that needs our charity, our presence, dialogue and love,

Leo said in near-perfect Italian in his first comments to the world

He has no problem fixing a broken-down truck until it runs,

said Janinna Sesa, who met Prevost while she worked for the church’s Caritas charity

Divisions and polemics in the church do not help anything. We bishops especially must accelerate this movement towards unity, towards communion in the church,

he said

And so I just never imagined that we would have an American pope, and I have great confidence that Pope Leo will do a wonderful job of navigating that,

he said

If the Catholic church were also run by an American, the global dominance of the US would be simply pervasive and overwhelming,

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, a watchdog group that tracks clergy child abuse cases in the Catholic church worldwide, told ABC News recently

Pope Francispope

Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hands off Africa. Stop choking Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered,

Francis said

JD Vancevice President

JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others”.

Notably, in February Leo tweeted an article that disagreed with Vance’s views on immigration, headlined

We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories,

he told the US Congress in September 2015.

I am pleased the Catholic Church has chosen Cardinal Robert Provost — born in the USA, but who served most of his life in Peru and is a priest from the Augustinian order — to be the new pope of the Catholic Church."

Archbishop Joseph D’Souza of India shared with Fox News Digital

The election of Pope Leo XIV — the first American pope — marks a watershed moment in the history of the Catholic Church. It is a reminder that faith is for all people in all places and that the gospel is an invitation to all."

Samuel Rodriguez of Sacramento, California, told Fox News Digital

May the pope, and all of us, be faithful to God,

Bradley continued

This is a great honor for our country, and we pray that God will impart wisdom upon Pope Leo to successfully lead the Catholic Church."

She added

I am encouraged by the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in history. His heart for missions and his dedication to serving the Lord, no matter the field of service, is inspiring."

Pastor Wendell Vinson, co-founder of CityServe in Bakersfield, California, said