A United Front for Pope Leo Among American Cardinals

So, this week was a pretty wild one for the Catholic Church — especially for the American side of it. After the big, secretive papal conclave in the Sistine Chapel, the American cardinals came out saying it actually wasn’t all that intense. No major drama. No one was twisting arms or playing politics. Just a bunch of guys trying to listen to the Spirit — or at least, that’s how they put it.

But once they had made their decision, and the outside world was still holding its breath, the atmosphere inside? Apparently, it exploded. One of the cardinals described the moment when the newly elected pope — Robert Francis Prevost — said he’d take the name “Leo.” And not just any Leo. Leo the fourteenth.

Some of them saw that as more than just a name — maybe a clue about what kind of pope he plans to be.

“Leo was kind of the original modern pope,” said Cardinal Blase Cupich from Chicago. “He stood up for workers and talked about how they deserved more than just barely surviving. He wanted them to have something they could actually pass on to their kids.”

He was talking about Pope Leo XIII, who, back in 1891, wrote this important thing called Rerum Novarum. It was all about workers’ rights, wages, and dignity during the chaos of the Industrial Revolution.

Cupich went on: “That document wasn’t about rich people protecting their wealth. It was for the people who didn’t have any — who needed something solid to give to the next generation.”

And now, with Pope Leo XIV stepping in, there’s a feeling that things like labor rights, immigration, and bridging divides might become the heartbeat of his papacy.

“We’re gonna hear a lot more about this,” Cupich added. “Maybe even something like a Rerum Novarum 2.0.”

On Friday afternoon, after finally emerging from their Vatican guesthouse — Casa Santa Marta — six American cardinals lined up onstage at the Pontifical North American College to talk to the press. They sat on red velvet chairs, looking tired but kind of proud. A seventh joined them — Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who’s basically the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S.

This kind of thing never happens. Like, all of them talking together in public like this? It was a moment.

Even though Pope Leo XIV was born in the U.S., the cardinals tried to make it clear that his nationality wasn’t really the point.

“He’s a citizen of the world,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo from Texas.

Inside the conclave, his being American barely came up, said Cardinal Robert McElroy. “Honestly? It didn’t seem to matter much.”

Cardinal Dolan from New York chimed in too: “Yeah, nobody was sitting there thinking, ‘Oh wow, he’s American.’ It just wasn’t like that.”

Someone asked if picking an American pope was supposed to be some kind of message — like a way to balance out Trump or something. Cardinal Dolan paused, raised an eyebrow maybe, and said, “Would he want to build bridges with Trump? I guess. But he’d want to build bridges with any leader, really.”

And then came the awkward moment: Would they want Trump to come to Rome for the inauguration? There was a pause. A long one. Then Cardinal Pierre just shrugged and said, “Why not?”

Back to the name “Leo.” Cardinal DiNardo got a bit nostalgic.

“I like to think of Leo the Great,” he said, smiling. “Back in the fifth century — yeah, that’s my jam — the Church was a total mess. Rome was falling apart, and Leo helped hold it together. Plus, he was preaching Christ crucified the whole time.”

So maybe this new Leo wants to be that kind of pope — someone who’s strong in chaos but deeply rooted in the gospel.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin from Newark told a quieter story. When it was time to cast his vote, he walked to the front of the Sistine Chapel, holding his ballot up high, all solemn — with Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” looking down on him. He’s known Cardinal Prevost for three decades, but seeing him there with his head in his hands?

“I just prayed for him,” Tobin said. “Because honestly, who wouldn’t freak out in that moment?”

And when they hit 89 votes — the number needed — the whole room clapped.

Tobin said, “I thanked him the next day for saying yes. That’s a huge thing to take on.”

After the big vote, they all made their way through the twisty Vatican corridors, and then Pope Leo XIV was up on the balcony, waving. Cardinal Cupich said he looked over and saw the crowds cheering all the way to the Tiber River.

“Maybe we’ll send him some pizzas,” he joked.

Later, they were all back at the guesthouse, celebrating with dinner. The new pope made his way around, chatting, smiling.

“He really knew how to work the room,” Cupich said.

Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the first Black American cardinal, pointed out that Prevost didn’t win people over with some dramatic speech. “He was just really solid in those small group discussions. Thoughtful. Real.”

And then there was this sweet little moment: some seminarians watching the press conference remembered that last Thanksgiving, Cardinal Prevost had come up to their college to celebrate with them.

Deacon Gerard Gayou, who’s getting ordained soon, pulled out a picture on his phone — it was him and the man who’s now the Pope, sharing Mass together.

“The big highlight?” he said, grinning. “We had homemade pumpkin pie. That’s hard to find in Italy.”

Oh — and yeah, they sent the new pope home with a few slices.