Robert Prevost has become the first clergyman from the United States to lead the Roman Catholic church, ending the Vatican’s longstanding opposition to the idea of a US pontiff.

The 69-year-old from Chicago has taken the papal name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on Thursday evening.

The announcement, which followed white smoke billowing from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, prompted raucous celebration and delight among the 50,000 pilgrims and tourists in St Peter’s Square.

  • kandoh@reddthat.com
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    2 days ago

    American pope!

    crowd boos

    woke for an American!

    crowd goes wild

    bad on protecting abusive priests!

    crowd boos

    hates JD Vance!

    crowd goes wild

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafe
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    2 days ago

    Chicago Pope proclaims he’s “on a mission from God”, looking to “get the band back together.”

  • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Any hope of some actual positive reform with this guy, or are we back to old cult dance of fucking alter boys and sucking political dick?

  • SW42@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Either they elected a new pope or they are burning coolant, meaning the papal headgasket has blown.

  • dhork@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I wonder how much money is about to change hands in the Pope betting markets.

    They are voting on the Pope’s new name, too. I have $2 on Pope Bootylicious

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      How much can I bet on MAGA getting mad he isn’t using his birth name and claiming they should call him by his birth name once they realize he doesn’t support all their views.

      • dhork@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        That’s true, will they even let him into the country since he went and changed his name and it doesn’t match his birth certificate anymore?

  • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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    ending the Vatican’s longstanding opposition to the idea of a US pontiff.

    And there is totally absolutely nothing suspicious, this is just the bestest evah option for a new pope because all popes should be Americans because Americans are the best.

    • Diddlydee@feddit.uk
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      2 days ago

      The old pope? Wasn’t his right hand man a paedophile, and - as usual - he was moved around and saw no justice, under Francis’ watch? No such thing as a good pope. A cult of paedophile enablers, now and always.

      • abbadon420@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        Francis allowed gay marriage and gay priests. He opened the church to criminal investigations when there were allegations of fraud. He got vaccinated against covid and encouraged everyone to do the same. He encouraged people to take climate change serious. He was very connected with poor people and immigrants, didn’t live in a palace.

        He wasn’t perfect, but better than his predecessors. He still denied transgender people and was not very proactive on allowing gay marriage. He spoke against sexual abuse in the church, but effectively did not do much about it. He claimed a zero tolerance, but did not practice it. He was very outspoken against abortion.

        All in all he put the church on a more progressive and modern path and that’s a good thing. I also think the church is bullshit, but they influence a whole lot of people, so it’s good if they follow a less evil path. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress.