US President Donald Trump has called the election of the first American pope a “great honour” for the country and said he looks forward to meeting him.
Trump is among the many American political figures applauding the historic appointment of Robert Francis Prevost, who will be known as Pope Leo XIV, to lead the Catholic Church.
“To have the Pope from America is a great honour,” Trump said when asked for a reaction to the news.
Vice-President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, praised the pope’s election.
“I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church,” Vance wrote on X.
Former President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic who has spoken about his warm relationship with Pope Francis, also offered his congratulations.
“Habemus papam – May God bless Pope Leo XIV of Illinois,” Biden, the second Catholic president in US history, wrote on social media.
Former President Barack Obama, who launched his political career in Chicago, wrote on X: “Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.”
“This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith.”
Former President George Bush issued a statement, saying that he and his wife, Laura, were “delighted” by the news.
“This a historic and hopeful moment for Catholics in America and the faithful around the world,” he said.
“We join those praying for the success of Pope Leo XIV as he prepares to lead the Catholic church, serve the neediest, and share God’s love.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson also congratulated the new pope and wrote on social media: “May God bless the first American papacy in these historic days.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Catholic, also extended his congratulations.
“This is a moment of profound significance for the Catholic Church, offering renewed hope and continuity amid the 2025 Jubilee Year to over a billion faithful worldwide,” Rubio said.
“The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff.”
