New Pope selected, what happens next?
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – As of May 8, 2025, a new pope has been elected!
White smoke signaled a new pope was chosen and it was decided Robert Prevost will be the first American Pope.
What happens next?
Making history in several ways, this conclave was not only one of the shortest conclaves to ever happen in modern times, but Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is the first American Pope ever to be chosen.
His Pope name is Pope Leo 14th, which holds significant meaning according to Assistant History Professor Frank Lacopo.
“Most recently was Leo the thirteenth of course and he was considered to be, the founder of modern catholic social teaching and so he was really keyed into the issues related to the poor and social justice and he was particularly worried during certain times of his partificut about what he called the American quest or the American problem which was sort of the growing materialism of the world right and capitalism was actually something he was worried about” says Lacopo.
With the Conclave ending with a majority vote in just 24 hours Lacopo shares that he believes this means Pope Leo the fourteenth was a very popular candidate.
“He grew up on the south side of Chicago raised Catholic as you would imagine” says Lacopo. Interestingly he’s a Cubs fan from the south side and someone like me who grew up very near Chicago knows that in and of itself that’s somewhat controversial. Thats probably making some people do double takes here but so he’s midwestern right he’s actually a midwestern guy which is very different compared to anything we’ve ever seen before in history, right he’s the first North American Pope and he’s the first pope who’s going to be speaking on behalf of Catholicism in an American accent.”
Lacopo goes on to say that although Pope Leo was born and raised in Chicago Illinois he did not stay there. Pope Leo 14th spent time in Rome and several years in Peru as a missionary. Making him educated in different back grounds and ethnicities.
Lacopo says he believes this is what made him a trusting candidate,
“Something that Leo 14th shared in his first blessing on the balcony at St. Peters Basilica was this emphasis that church was going to be civical. Which basically means that the church is going to make decisions more collectively and not just from the seat of St. Peter down, its not going to be a one-way street, he’s looking forward to gathering bishops and other church authorities together to determine the direction of the church.”
