Will we see the first-ever American pope? How USA's image could come into play

Yahoo

06-05-2025

President Donald Trump's recent joke that he would "like to be pope" aside, the chances do not appear great that the next pope will hail from the United States.
The College of Cardinals will convene a conclave at the Vatican on May 7 to select a successor to replace Pope Francis, who died April 21 at 88. There have been 266 popes, and 217 of the have been Italian. Francis made history as the first pope from Latin America, and there has never been one from the U.S.
Still, two Americans drawing attention are Cardinal Raymond Burke, 76, a critic of Francis' progressive actions whom Francis removed as the Vatican's high court justice in 2014, and Cardinal Joseph Tobin, 72, archbishop of Newark, N.J., who was named a cardinal by Francis.
Melissa Wilde, a sociologist of religion and inequality and chairperson of the Department of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, acknowledged it is difficult to predict what the cardinals will decide when the conclave gathers. But she shared her perceptions based on geography with USA TODAY.
"It will not be another Latin American, it will most likely not be an American, but this could be the wild card," she said. "I would say Asian or African, if not one of them, American, if not one of them, an Italian."
The Rev. James Bretzke, a theology professor at John Carroll University in Ohio, indicated he believes Americans may fall further down the list. Burke, for example, might claim a few votes in the early rounds "then disappear totally from the tallies after that" as cardinals who backed him switch to other conservatives gaining more momentum, Bretzke said.
Pope has role as global diplomat
Bretzke says a pope is a diplomat who must be accepted globally, and the papacy must appear to represent a cross-section of the world. In the past, Italians were viewed within the church as diplomats, so they were more acceptable across ethnic groups − although this appears to be less important now, he said.
"However, these considerations will continue, in my opinion, to prevent any American from being elected the next pope, even if otherwise he might be well qualified," Bretzke said. "America's image in the world simply is too powerful − and to be blunt, ugly."
The Rev. Patrick Flanagan, associate professor of theology and religious studies at St. John's University in New York, says he has seen various reviews of the 'elite eight, fabulous four, and the latest May Madness chart." But he emphasized the adage 'in pope, out cardinal," meaning anyone who goes into a conclave thinking they will become pope usually exits the conclave still a cardinal.
President for pope? Trump jokes he'd 'like to be pope'
Trump makes a papal pitch
Trump on Tuesday joked he'd like to be the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
'I'd like to be pope,' Trump told reporters outside the White House. 'That would be my No. 1 choice.'
In response to Trump's remarks, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham jokingly wrote on X that he was 'excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope.'
'This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!' he wrote. 'The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!'
Trump also made what appeared to be a playful pitch for Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, saying there was someone in New York who is " very good, so we'll see what happens."
− Sudiksha Kochi
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, left, exits the Cathedral Basilica of the Scared Heart in Newark on Nov. 7, 2024. Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke holds a palm branch during the Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, April 13, 2025.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will we see first-ever American pope? How USA's image comes into play