The election of a new pope has Connecticut Catholics talking.
Robert Prevost, the Chicago-born missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church on Thursday.
Prevost took the name Leo XIV.
Archbishop Christopher Coyne, head of the Archdiocese of Hartford, said he was not expecting a decision to come so soon.
“I have to say when the announcement was made that Cardinal Prevost was to be our next pope, I was stunned. The first words out of my mouth were a two-letter phrase of which the first word is ‘holy.’ And I will leave the second word to your imagination," he told reporters just hours after the white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. "I never thought for a minute that an American would be elected pope.”
Coyne spoke at the Archdiocese of Hartford Pastoral Center in Bloomfield. He said he knows the new pope to be level-headed and well-qualified for the role.
“On behalf of all Americans, I congratulate our fellow American, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, on his elevation to the office of St. Peter," Coyne said. "My hope is that he will show to the world a side of America that is merciful, charitable, generous and peaceful."
Coyne said he hopes the election of an American pope will invigorate the Catholic faith in Connecticut and across the country. The new pope is also a citizen of Peru, where he served the church for many years, and Coyne noted the significance for the Peruvian community in Connecticut.
"I think the very fact that they were watching this man from Peru, who was a bishop in Peru, who is a citizen of Peru, speaking to them in Spanish — their hearts must have been just as full as mine is, as his being an American."
Brian Stiltner, a theology professor at Sacred Heart University, said the newly-elected pope is known for his compassion towards marginalized groups such as immigrants.
“He's a person with a global view of the economy and politics in the church," Stiltner said. "From what we've seen of his public comments in social media in recent years, he is very much in the spirit of Pope Francis."
Stiltner said the new pope will lead the church during a time of heightened divisions between conservative and liberal Catholics in the United States, but increased growth in Africa and Asia.
Peruvians and Latinos in Connecticut rejoice with hope for the future
Maria Blanco, a member of the Peruvian American Coalition of Connecticut living in Norwalk, was overjoyed at the news of the new pope.
“We as Peruvians feel blessed at this moment,” Blanco said in Spanish. “He’s not just an American pope. He honored us by taking Peruvian nationality, and we also accepted him as a son of ours, of Peru.”
Pope Leo XIV is a naturalized citizen of Peru. He spent twenty years serving as a missionary and later bishop in Peru.
Blanco is hoping the new pope will use his influence to bring change to the political climate in Peru, which she says has a great deal of corruption and wealth inequality.
“There is no leadership [in Peru]. Young people don’t want to participate in politics,” Blanco said. “But let’s hope that the new pope can be an influence for young people to take the reins of the future of Peru.”
Pope Leo XIV has a long and difficult path ahead with his new position, Blanco said, so she encourages her fellow Peruvians to keep him company with their prayers.
At St. Augustine Parish in Hartford, faith leaders in the Latino community also celebrated the new pope’s ties to Latin America.
“I feel so happy,” said Fr. Jose Linares, a Vicar. “The pope spoke to us in Spanish yesterday, and he didn’t mention the U.S. He only mentioned that he has a great love for the land of Peru.”
Linares, too, has a great amount of love for Peru. Though he is Puerto Rican, he has visited Peru on several occasions, traveling up and down the country to connect and work with the Catholic community there since 1997.
His Parish has many Peruvian families, Linares said, so there was a great amount of joy in his community when the new pope was announced.
The people of Puerto Rico are sharing in that happiness, Linares said. Pope Leo XIV visited Puerto Rico in 2023 for the Episcopal Conference of Latin America. Linares was also present at the conference.
Linares didn’t get to personally meet Cardinal Robert Prevost at the time, but Linares said he learned more about Prevost’s work while he was there.
“Right now, the bishops of Puerto Rico are celebrating. They’re telling people about the experiences they had with him,” Linares said. “He’s a very humble man. Very humble and easygoing.”
Prayers for Pope Leo XIV
In eastern Connecticut, Bishop Richard Reidy of the Catholic Diocese of Norwich offered prayers for the new pope. Reidy, who was appointed bishop just a few months before the death of Pope Francis, said the Catholic church is renewed and called the pope's selection a visible sign of unity and hope.
“May his leadership draw the Church ever closer to Christ, and may he be strengthened in his mission to proclaim the truth in love to a world in need of mercy, peace, and faith,” Reidy said.
New Haven-area U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Catholic, says she is also praying for the new pope.
“I am praying for your success, your wisdom, and your moral clarity in guiding the church through these trying times,” DeLauro wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
DeLauro noted the last pope to take the name Leo is considered the father of Catholic social teaching, who affirmed the dignity of workers in the late 19th century. DeLauro, a Democrat, said she hopes the new Pope Leo carries on that tradition.
Gov. Ned Lamont said the pope’s selection is a celebratory day for millions of Catholics all over the world.
“My prayers are with Pope Leo XIV as he guides the church and leads with wisdom, faith, and compassion,” Lamont said.
This story has been updated. Connecticut Public's Daniela Doncel, Chris Polansky, Eddy Martinez, Matt Dwyer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
