In a moment marking history for the Catholic Church and the United States, President Donald Trump congratulated Cardinal Robert Prevost on his election as pope.
Robert Prevost is the first American-born national to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
The 69-year-old newly elected pope, who hails from Chicago, officially adopted the name Pope Leo XIV after being elected Thursday evening.
His selection was confirmed when white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney in Rome, signalling the end of the conclave that began on Wednesday.
Reacting swiftly to the Vatican’s announcement, Trump took to his social media page and posted:
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”
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Interestingly, Trump’s comments come just days after he stirred controversy by sharing an AI-generated image of himself dressed in full papal attire on his social media platform.
He even joked that becoming pope would be his “number one choice,” drawing backlash from Catholic leaders and cardinals who viewed the posts as insensitive, especially during the mourning period following Pope Francis’s death.
While Pope Leo XIV has occasionally criticised Trump’s administration in the past, the president’s congratulatory tone signals optimism about their future interactions.
As the world watches this new historic win for the United States of America, attention now turns to how Pope Leo XIV will shape the direction of the global Catholic Church, and what his relationship with U.S. leadership will look like moving forward.
