Election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, first American pope, stuns and elates Long Islanders

Long Island Catholics were swept up in shock and joy Thursday after an American cardinal walked out onto the Vatican balcony in Rome and, for the first time in history, was proclaimed to be pope.

Many said they were excited by Robert Francis Prevost's commitment to Catholic social justice teachings, as evidenced by the name he chose — Pope Leo XIV. Some saw him as a "compromise" centrist choice who is progressive on social issues and conservative on doctrinal issues.

But almost everyone was surprised.

"I am absolutely stunned," said Richard Koubek, community outreach coordinator for Long Island Jobs for Justice and a lifelong Catholic.

He said he was especially thrilled the new pontiff had chosen the name Leo, since Pope Leo XIII was the founder of Catholic social justice teachings.

Koubek said he hopes it means that Prevost, a Chicago native who spent two decades as a missionary in South America, pushes forward on the progressive changes Pope Francis talked about and put on the table but never fully implemented, such as women deacons.

Bishop John Barres, head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said he was ecstatic, too.

“We saw palpable excitement in St. Peter’s Square. And then Pope Leo the 14th walked out,” Barres said. “The entrance of any pope onto the balcony for the first time, you do get a beautiful sense of how the Holy Spirit works.”

Jim Morgo, a Catholic from Blue Point, said the election was "stunning." He said Pope Leo XIII was known as the "workers’ pope," and Prevost was signaling his priorities by choosing the name Leo XIV.

"Is the choice a reaction to the oligarchs in the United States and around the world?" Morgo said.

John Picciano, a Catholic from Melville, called Prevost "clearly a centrist compromise — progressive on social issues and conservative on doctrinal issues. We’ll see what the Holy Spirit has in store for us all."

An unlikely choice

Some Vatican experts told Newsday this week they didn't believe the election of an American pope was likely. But, they said at the time, the cardinals could surprise people if they wanted to elect an American who would stand up to President Donald Trump on issues such as deportation of immigrants.

Leo's position in the hierarchy of the church and his background in Latin America may have also helped ease his election.

"If Prevost was Italian, he would have been on everyone's list because of his position as head of the Vatican office that nominates candidates for the episcopacy," the Rev. Tom Reese, a senior analyst for Religion News Service, said Thursday. "Most of us thought a U.S. cardinal would never become pope, but Prevost got strong support from cardinals from Latin America, where he worked for 20 years."

Pope Leo XIV worked for two decades in Peru and obtained citizenship in the South American nation. Like Francis, who was a Jesuit, Pope Leo XIV also belongs to a religious order. The two also shared a commitment to the poor and marginalized.

The Rev. Frank Pizzarelli, founder of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson, said the new pope is "an Augustinian priest who's known for his humility, for his kindness, his directness and his love of the poor. I think he will walk his own chorus but in the spirit of Pope Francis, and hopefully lead us in an even more inclusive way."

It is not known how closely the new pope will hew to some of Francis’s stands on hot-button issues such as bringing back women deacons, allowing divorced Catholics to receive Communion and recognizing gay marriages. Francis expressed openness on several such issues, though he did not fundamentally change church teachings or practice.

Leo is expected to be somewhat more discreet and cautious than Francis, who was prone to sometimes off-the-cuff provocative statements.

An understanding of immigrants

Maribel Gomez, president of the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association, said she hopes his time in Peru will enhance people’s understanding of the issues immigrants in this country face.

“It's our hope that his experience in Peru … brings a sense of some inclusivity and compassion," Gomez said.

In Brentwood, parishioners streaming out of St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church said they were hopeful about the new pope, while fondly remembering Francis.

Rosalia Mercado, 75, of Bay Shore, said she had a feeling Pope Leo XIV would be a “very good” pope.

“I still don’t know much about what the new pope is like … but I’m hoping for the best and that he follows in the same footsteps as Pope Francis, who was a very humble pope,” said Mercado, whose roots are in the Dominican Republic.

Adela Vera, 64, of Brentwood, who emigrated from El Salvador and is a naturalized citizen, said she was heartened to hear Pope Leo speaks Spanish.

“I think the whole world is happy because we have a new pope,” Vera said.

Pilar Moya-Mancera, executive director of Greenlawn-based nonprofit Housing Help, said she attended elementary and high schools run by the Augustinian order in Peru in the 1970s and 80s. 

The Augustinians empowered women and emphasized the importance of giving back to the poor while erasing class lines, she said.

Prevost is very well-known in Peru, and while he might be American-born, he's as Peruvian as "arroz con pollo," she said.

"I feel because my experience with the fathers was so wonderful that my heart is full of hope," she said. "I don't think they could have made a better choice."

Emilin Winters, of East Meadow, who was born and raised in Lima, Peru, and moved to the United States in 2001, was excited to learn of the new pope’s connection to her homeland.

Winters’ father, who still lives in Peru, began texting her shortly after news broke of the new pope’s selection and said the South American nation was celebrating.

“To have a pope from Peru is very significant,” Winters said. “Probably 90% of the population in Peru is Catholic. The pope is basically the representation of not only the church, but also the entire country.”

In Rockville Centre on Thursday, Josselyn Mejia, 26, of Inwood, was attending the 12:10 p.m. Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral when melodic bells interrupted about 15 minutes in.

"The priest was like, ‘Do we have a new pope?’ Mejia said of the Rev. Patrick Flanagan.

The bells tolled a second time after 1 p.m. at the announcement that Prevost had been chosen.

Pope Leo XIV's speech at the Vatican was projected for the public in the St. Agnes Parish Hall.

Grinning from ear to ear, the Rev. Christopher Heller, of St. Agnes Cathedral, said the election was "extraordinary."

"Any time a pope is elected, it's a moment of extreme joy for all of us, for all Christians, and for all people of good will. But also to have an American pope is just such a gift to the church," he said. "You never just think there's going to be an American pope."

Jean Fenton, 65, of Bellmore, said she had been on "pope watch" since Wednesday and had been eager to see the white smoke arise. 

"In a million years, I didn't think we would have an American pope in my lifetime," Fenton said. "I'm very happy. I know little about him, but he sounds great. He'll be wonderful."