‘Such an honour’: Donald Trump congratulates newly-elected Pope, first American to hold the post
Trump said that he would look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV and that it will be a very meaningful moment.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday congratulated the newly elected Pope, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost.
Cardinal Prevost, who will now be known as Pope Leo XIV, is the first American ever to be elected the head of the Catholic Church.
“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!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post just after the announcement from the Vatican.
French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announced the new pope, with the Latin words "Habemus Papam" (We have a pope). With his election on Thursday, Leo becomes the 267th Catholic pope after the death last month of Pope Francis, who was the first Latin American pope and had led the Church for 12 years.
The first American Pope
Robert Francis Prevost, an American cardinal of French and Italian descent, was born in Chicago on September 14, 1955. He has served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023. With his election, he becomes the first Pope from the United States of America.
A member of the Order of Saint Augustine, Prevost spent decades as a missionary in Peru, served as Prior General of the Augustinians (2001–2013), and was Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru (2015–2023). He was elevated to cardinal in 2023 and cardinal-bishop in 2025.
The 69-year-old pontiff has chosen Leo XIV as his papal name. The new pontiff's choice of regnal name aligns him with a lineage of popes known for strong leadership and doctrinal clarity. The last Catholic Church leader with the papal name Leo was Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903, according to Fox 11. He was known for his intellectual contributions and social teachings.
