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Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
North Texas Catholics celebrate the news of a new pope
The Brief Students on the University of Dallas campus cheered as the first-ever American-born pope was selected on Thursday. Some were surprised. Many are excited and hopeful, praying for what the new leader of the Catholic Church will be. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dallas professor shares insight on the process of picking a pope
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief No pope was elected after the first vote on Wednesday. The University of Dallas' theology chair talked to FOX 4 about what could happen on Thursday. The cardinals are expected to vote between 3 and 6 a.m. and again, if needed, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time. DALLAS - The highly secretive process of picking a new pope began on Wednesday behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. It's a centuries-old tradition with repeated rounds of prayer and voting until the Catholic Church's 133 voting cardinals reach a two-thirds majority in their selection. Thousands of Catholics waited in Saint Peter's Square throughout the first day of voting but saw only black smoke. The previous two popes, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis, were both elected on the second day of voting. White smoke will be the symbol once that happens. Local perspective FOX 4's Steven Dial sat down with Professor Christopher Malloy, the chair of theology at the University of Dallas, to talk about the process. Do you think the new pope will be someone similar to Pope Francis, who may have rubbed some people the wrong way? Or do you think it could be going back to a more moderate type of pope? "12 years ago, many people thought they knew who the frontrunners were. And in fact, very few knew who the frontrunners were because of the secrecy. I think, in some respects, for the 2005 election, the later Pope Francis was actually a frontrunner. And, but very few people knew that on the outside. Media, theologians, historians, very few people knew," Malloy said. How much does age play a role in this? "I think right now you're going to see probably someone who's 75 or older. Over 70, I would think. Probably not a 60-year-old, probably not a 55-year-old. That'd be my guess," the theology chair said. What does your gut say about the chances of a first? A first Asian, first Black. "A first African, I think there's a good chance of that. Not that it's the number one candidate, but I think that there's the possibility that Cardinal Sarah could be the, could be. He's one of the top 10 in many people's minds. And that would be remarkable. I think number one, what is the good of the church? I don't care who he is, I don't care what his background is. But it would be beautiful in that sense that God has called everyone in the world to his love. And if we have an African, if we have an Asian cardinal who is a great promoter of the love of God and the truth of his fidelity to the world, that's wonderful," he said. What are the chances of an American, you know, having a real chance of possibly being the Pope? And then just talk about us having someone who used to be in our area being in a visible role in this process. "Well, it's pretty remarkable when you see someone who was your bishop and then is very visible somewhere else and higher up, that kind of thing. It's always a remarkable thing. And you always want to say, 'Remember us.' So, you've got Cardinal Farrell, and you have Giovanni Battista Ray running the election," Malloy said. "The chances of an American cardinal, I think, are pretty low. And one of the reasons historically for that is that the papal office is meant to unite the global church, Catholic church. And if a political power, a powerhouse, political powerhouse were to have too much influence, that might be not healthy for the church. Or the cardinals might perceive it as not healthy for the church." What's next The cardinals are expected to vote again twice on Thursday morning. That could be sometime between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. in Dallas. If there's no pope selected, they will vote twice in the afternoon as well. That could be sometime between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. locally. The Source The information in this story comes from LiveNOW from FOX and an interview with University of Dallas Professor Christopher Malloy.
