ORLANDO, Fla. — As the white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel Chimney Thursday afternoon, bells tolled in Downtown Orlando to signal the selection of a new pope.

The news created a feeling of joy and hope at St. James Catholic Cathedral as churchgoers prepared for a mass centered around the selection Roman Catholic Church’s selection.

What You Need To Know

  • The Roman Catholic Church selected Robert Prevost as the next pope as he takes on the name Pope Leo XIV

  • The Diocese of Orlando held a press conference Thursday to discuss the selection of Pope Leo XIV

  • Diocese members used the words trust, unity, thanks and hope to describe the selection

“Two minutes before the mass I get a call from one of our staff members and other staff members are running into the sacristy saying white smoke white smoke,” said St. James Catholic Cathedral Parochial Vicar Father Phillip Mills.

American-born Cardinal Robert Prevost was selected and has taken on the name Pope Leo XIV.

His name hints that he may follow in the footsteps of Leo XIII, a man that the Diocese of Orlando says was a pope of social justice in the 1800s.

And with his fluency in five languages, and Augustinian influence, local priests believe Pope Leo XIV will bring a new insight. 

“It’s not just that he’s an American, but he has spent his whole life in different countries, mostly in Peru and Rome,” said Diocese of Orlando’s Bishop John Noonan. “So, I think he brings a new perspective to the whole thing. Not just by being a bishop but by being the pope.” 

Pope Leo spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments.

He is also a dual citizen of the United States and Peru.

“When I heard the name and when I heard that it was Pope Leo the XIV, cardinal Robert, I was looking at another member of the staff like, no way, it’s an American Pope, it’s an American Pope. So there was a great joy obviously in knowing that one of our own was selected to be the new vicar of Christ,” said Father Miguel Gonzalez.

The Diocese of Orlando held a press conference Thursday and spoke about the selection of the first American pope, sharing that they loved seeing his humanity and vulnerability just before he shared his first words with the world.

“It was beautiful to see him there and as everyone was clapping, you could see the tears in his eyes and that gives me hope because it shows that we have a pope that is going to show how close he is to the people,” shared Holy Cross Catholic Church Parochial Vicar Angel Garcia.

And while we know Pope Leo XIV was brought in by Francis, religious experts still have a lot of questions about the new pope.

“Is he going to be similar to Francis or different from Francis in terms of his style?” questioned Saint Leo University Assistant Professor Dr. Stephen Okey. “Is he going to have the same sort of spontaneity and unpredictability in terms of the press conferences on planes or the way that he greets the people or the plans that he has?”

Priests in Central Florida say they love how Pope Leo XIV continuously acknowledged Pope Francis, which showed that a new pope does not mean a new church.

The diocese also talked about the timing of the selection. It only took three votes and two days for the conclave to select Pope Leo XIV and it comes just as the Catholic Church prepares to celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday and showcasing some symbolism for the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world.