SALT LAKE CITY — As soon as the news broke that for the first time in history, an American had been elected pope, Bishop Oscar Solis of the Diocese of Salt Lake City shared his excitement at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.
“For us Catholics, this is another surprise blessing from God, an awesome spiritual moment of deep gratitude and great joy,” said Bishop Solis.
For many who paid the cathedral a visit to pray, following the announcement that Cardinal Robert Prevost had been elected the new pope, they interrupted what they were doing.
“You know I was getting ready to go fishing on the Provo, and I thought well, maybe God said this might be a little more important than fish today,” said Thomas John Thomas.
Utah catholic students overjoyed with selection of Pope Leo XIV:
University of Utah student Jack Bellows was in the middle of a final exam when he learned the first American had become the pope.
“You know the fact that it’s an American pope too, I never thought I’d see that in my lifetime. I was shocked when they said it was an American,” said Bellows.
Appointed as a Cardinal by his predecessor Pope Francis, Bellows hopes Pope Leo XIV will also look out for the disenfranchised and the less fortunate.
“God’s greatest commandment is love your neighbor as yourself and I think Francis really embodied that,” said Bellows. “You know I am also gay, and I would not remain a Catholic if it weren’t for Francis and his openness towards LGBT Catholics.”
Thomas hopes the first American pope can create some unity.
“Hopefully, it’ll pull our country together and you know make everybody think a little bit more about America in a positive way.”
