Maryland Catholics celebrate American Cardinal Robert Prevost elected as new pope

CBS News

08-05-2025

Catholics across the world, and here in Maryland, are celebrating the Vatican's historic election of a new pope.
The new pope, Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, who will be going by Pope Leo XIV, is the first U.S.-born pope in the Roman Catholic Church's history.
William Lori, the Archbishop of Baltimore, called Pope Leo XIV, "prayerful, reflective, and a good listener with a military heart."
"Shocking, honestly, to have an American pope"
Loyola University Maryland leaders and students told WJZ that Thursday has been emotional and very exciting.
"I'm really excited, I feel like I'm there," student Kaitlyn Ramos said. "I'm watching it and trying to imagine myself in the Vatican right now."
From the moment white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel in Rome, excitement and anticipation blossomed over the world.
In Baltimore, students and staff in Loyola University's campus ministry building were glued to the television, finding out who the next pontiff would be.
"All the students were here, we were all clapping and cheering," said Milton Bravo, the Vice President of Mission and Identity at Loyola. "And then we waited about an hour or so to see the new pope come out on that balcony and greet the people of Rome and the whole world."
And when it was determined that the new pope, Pope Leo XIV, was American-born, those watching at Loyola were stunned.
"Shocking, honestly, to have an American pope," said Emily Kane, the campus ministry director at Loyola. "I don't think anybody was expecting that to happen."
"He spoke of peace"
Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, spent years ministering in Peru. He was made a cardinal by the late Pope Francis in September 2023.
He was born in Chicago and earned a college degree from Villanova University in Philadelphia.
His first words as Pope Francis's successor were, "Peace be with you."
"What you heard on that balcony, which made me really emotional, is someone who is going to build bridges, who's going to continue to reach out, and once again he spoke of peace," Bravo said. "We're welcoming to all, this is a church for all, echoing what Pope Francis said."