Leo XIV addresses the crowd in St. Peter's Square shortly after being elected pope on May 8, 2025Image: Vatican Media Youtube
The bells of the cathedral in downtown Tucson rang in celebration of the election of a new pope. Father Ed Lucero with the Diocese of Tucson said it was exciting and surprising how quickly the cardinals made their decision.
The process started on Wednesday, and today, after a fourth round of voting white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel, signaling a new pope had been chosen.
“So we are very happy,” he said. “Pope Leo XIV — we'll be using his name for the masses starting now. So usually we put the Pope and the bishop in the mass for all the masses celebrated. So yeah, very exciting. Of course, when we got the message, the white smoke was appearing. It's like everyone ran to their computers and started pulling up live streams and waiting to see.”
Leo XIV is the first American pope and from Chicago. Reports say Leo the Fourteenth is a centrist, promoting both progressive social outreach and adherence to traditional Catholic doctrine.
Lucero says reports also say he works well with people, is a problem solver and is well respected among the Cardinals and bishops.
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