Shock and excitement reverberated around New Jersey and the country Thursday afternoon with the news that the cardinals had chosen an American to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope Leo XIV, the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected by the college of cardinals in Vatican City. A native of Chicago whose ministry took him to Peru and then to the Vatican, Prevost is a 1977 graduate of Villanova University.
Fran Yates was among the numerous Catholics around New Jersey whose attention was on her screen as she watched the new pope emerge from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
"My relatives and I were all texting back and forth," said Yates, of Westwood. "We were all rooting for different people."
When Prevost came out on the balcony, Yates was overjoyed. Prevost, she knew, was born in Chicago, although he spent much of his career overseas. But his name wasn't on any short list.
"We never expected an American — we assumed that was out of the picture," she said, adding that everyone she knows is thrilled with the choice. "He will be able to relate to American society and bring more Americans back to the church."
He has experience as a missionary in South America, a bishop in Peru and held powerful Vatican roles, Yates said.
"He also speaks several languages and was able to speak in both Italian and Spanish to the crowds with a lot of confidence," she said.
Dugan McGinley, a professor of religion at Rutgers University, said it's significant that the new spiritual leader chose the name Leo, because the last pontiff to take that name, Leo XIII, who was pope from 1878 to 1903, is considered one of the main figures in the modern Catholic social justice movement.
"His encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891) is sort of the founding document in that regard. It is concerned with the rights of workers and asserts the right to private property while it also condemns laissez-faire capitalism," he said. "Clearly, this new pope wants to be associated with that legacy of social justice."
Dozens of politicians and organizations spanning a broad range of religious, political and cultural denominations tweeted or posted their excited reactions Thursday to the papal selection.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who identifies as Roman Catholic, called it a "joyous and momentous day."
"Today, Catholics around the world are beaming with pride as His Holiness Pope Leo XIV makes history as the first American Pope," he said on X. "Over the years, Pope Leo XIV has distinguished himself as a deeply principled leader who prioritizes service to others above all else. In his own words, he has encouraged his fellow faith leaders to be humble, to be close to the people who serves, to walk with them, to suffer with them."
Many pointed out that the new pope shares many values with Pope Francis and say he is likely follow in his footsteps, particularly when it comes to creating a more compassionate church.
"I sense that he has some of the spirit of Pope Francis and a strong concern for the poor and marginalized, while, as a canon lawyer, might bring a bit more clarity and stability to how to live our faith in the light of Church teaching and discipline," said Msgr. Richard Arnhols, the former pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Bergenfield. He added that the cardinals chose "just the right person to lead us at this point in history."
Students and staff at Villanova University, where the pope obtained his undergraduate degree in mathematics in 1977, were thrilled with the choice, said Emma McDonald, assistant professor of Christian Ethics.
“The selection of Pope Leo XIV is worth celebrating not only for the Villanova community, but also for the global Church," she said. "It will be exciting to see how he, as the first Augustinian friar to be elected to the papacy, brings the teachings of St. Augustine, which are foundational to his order and to Villanova’s mission in higher education alike, to the key challenges facing the contemporary Church.”
The Rev. Daniel O'Mullane, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Booton, said that the fact that the new Catholic leader is an American is historic, of course, but more importantly is the kind of person he is: "a "missionary, servant of the Church across cultures and continents, his formation in the Augustinian tradition, his years in Peru and his recent work as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops all point to a pope who understands the breadth of the Church and the weight of shepherding her well,"
O'Mullane said he was moved, by the "humility and warmth" of the first words he uttered to the world as the new pope, which were, “Peace be with you all.”
Such a message, he said, represents "a very fitting beginning for a papacy rooted in hope."