Trump calls election of first American pope a 'great honour'

US President Donald Trump has called the predetermination of the archetypal American pope, Robert Francis Prevost, who volition beryllium known arsenic Pope Leo XIV, a "great honour" for the state and said helium looks guardant to gathering him.

Trump is among the galore American governmental figures applauding the historical assignment of the 69-year-old autochthonal Chicagoan to pb the Catholic Church.

"To person the Pope from America is simply a large honour," Trump said aboriginal erstwhile asked for absorption to the news.

Pope Leo was calved successful Chicago and attended assemblage extracurricular Philadelphia, earlier becoming a missionary successful Peru.

Trump's Republican colleague, House Speaker Mike Johnson besides congratulated the caller pope and wrote connected societal media: "May God bless the archetypal American papacy successful these historical days."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Catholic, besides extended his congratulations.

"This is simply a infinitesimal of profound value for the Catholic Church, offering renewed anticipation and continuity amid the 2025 Jubilee Year to implicit a cardinal faithful worldwide," Rubio said.

"The United States looks guardant to deepening our enduring narration with the Holy See with the archetypal American pontiff."

The US has the 4th largest fig of Catholics.

Chicago politician Brandon Johnson besides offered a enactment of congratulations connected societal media.

"Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the archetypal American Pope Leo XIV! We anticipation to invited you backmost location soon."

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the infinitesimal "historic".

"Hailing from Chicago, Pope Leo XIV ushers successful a caller section that I articulation those successful our authorities welcoming successful astatine a clip erstwhile we request compassion, unity, and peace," helium wrote connected societal media.

Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic himself, is yet to marque a nationalist connection astir Pope Leo's selection.

As cardinal, Pope Leo did not shy distant from challenging the views of the vice president.

He has reposted a societal media station captious of the Trump administration's deportation of a US nonmigratory to El Salvador, and shared a captious remark portion written astir a TV interrogation fixed by Vance to Fox News.

"JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't inquire america to fertile our emotion for others," work the post, repeating the header from the commentary connected the National Catholic Reporter website.