Robert Francis Prevost, who on Thursday became the first U.S. native to become pope, has the prayers and support of many El Pasoans – and a personal connection with Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso.
Prevost, who was born in Chicago but did most of his ministry in Peru, will lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics under the name Leo XIV.
Seitz said he was elated with the news of Leo’s selection in part because they connected last year. Then-Cardinal Prevost invited Seitz to Rome last September to speak to new bishops about Seitz’s immigration ministry.
“The personal connection has been made,” Seitz said in a recording issued by the Diocese of El Paso after Pope Leo was introduced. “It’s beyond words in some way to have that personal connection. I thought that would never happen again after Pope Francis.”
Seitz, who was raised about 90 miles north of Chicago in Milwaukee, said that all popes serve as communal voices for peace, justice, mercy and goodness, and he expects Leo to be faithful to the position. He believes Leo will continue to support his immigration ministry at the local and national levels
The bishop said that while every pope follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, each has his own style and focus. His missionary past gives him an insight into people who lived their lives on society’s periphery.
“Outreach is in his DNA,” Seitz said, and later added, “I think this pope will have a laser focus on those things.”
The College of Cardinals selected Leo on the second day of deliberations Thursday. The pope, 69, is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, a missionary group that emphasizes service, community and intellectual life. He is the 266th successor to St. Peter.
During his introduction at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he shared a message of the love of God in Latin and Spanish.
“Evil will not prevail,” Leo told the crowd who gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “We are all in the hands of God. Hand-in-hand, we go forward.”
Estrella del Paso, a Catholic nonprofit that provides immigration legal services, in a statement said that it was heartened by the selection of Leo because of his alignment with the church’s social teaching and Pope Francis’ views of migration.
As a bishop in Peru, he would emphasize the church’s mission to serve the displaced and vulnerable populations. His ministry showed his commitment to upholding the dignity of every person, especially those who would flee their homeland to escape violence, poverty and persecution, according to the statement.
“May his pontificate be a beacon of hope for all who seek refuge and may the Church under his care continue to be a voice for the voiceless and a home for the displaced,” said Melissa M. Lopez, executive director of Estrella del Paso.
J.P. Delamotte, a parishioner at Most Holy Trinity in Northeast El Paso, said he was still processing the news of the first American pope.
“It was kind of a shock,” said Delamotte, who was born in Paris, and most recently visited the Vatican in 1998. He is active in church ministry. “God works in mysterious ways.”
Patricia Williams, a parishioner at St. Raphael parish on the Eastside, said she did not know much about the new pope, but what she does know from news reports has her excited. She said that his work alongside Pope Francis gives her confidence.
“I think it’s awesome,” Williams said. “I am hoping his appointment will bring some sanity to this world.”
The Rev. Frank Hernandez, pastor at St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr parish on the Eastside, said he knew that the new pope was one of the cardinals on the short list, but not as one of the favorites. He said he was as surprised as anyone with the choice.
Hernandez said that he hoped that Leo, as an American with strong roots in Latin America, will help the church grow in this community, this country and the world.
“He’s able to understand us, just like Pope Francis did,” Hernandez said. “The border communities, migration issues, all of that. He has a deep understanding of that, which I think is good for us as a community.”
Leo XIV was born in Chicago in 1955 and earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University in 1977. He received his diploma in theology from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago, and his doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome in 1987.
He was ordained in 1982 and spent much of his clerical life in Peru and Italy. He served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, which means that he managed the selection of new bishops. He also has been president of the La Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023, the same year Pope Francis made him a cardinal.
Francis died April 21. He was 88. The day before his death, Francis offered a blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Easter Sunday. He was known as “the people’s Pope” because of his unpretentious ways. He was known for his humility, advocacy and promotion for peace.
He was the first pope to visit the U.S.-Mexico border when he stopped in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on Feb. 17, 2016. He celebrated a Mass at the fairgrounds near Benito Juárez Stadium. The stop was part of the pontiff’s five-day trip to Mexico.
Francis was elected pope March 13, 2013. The College of Cardinals selected him on the fifth ballot. He was the first pope from Latin America.
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El Pasoans recall, celebrate life of Pope Francis after his death Monday
Pope Francis visited the borderland in 2016, stopping in Ciudad Juárez – marking the first time a pontiff visited the U.S.-Mexico border.
He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio to a working-class, immigrant family in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He earned a credential and worked in the food processing field before becoming a Jesuit priest in 1958. Jesuits are dedicated to education, ministry, outreach to the marginalized and the promotion of justice and social good.
It is not clear why the new pope selected the name Leo. Leo XIII was pope from 1878 to 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of the popes, behind Peter (about 34 years), Pius IX (almost 32 years) and John Paul II (more than 26 years).
Leo XIII was known for his work on the church’s social doctrine and efforts to reconcile the church with modern thinking. He was known as the social pope because he wrote an encyclical about workers’ rights and the needs of the working class.
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