The true meaning of an American Pope

ON MAY 8, I STOOD ON THE COLON-nades of St. Peter’s Square on the beautiful afternoon a new Pope was elected, shoulder to shoulder with pilgrims from every corner of the globe.

- BY CHRISTOPHER HALE

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV prays on a balcony at St. Peter's Basilica on May 8

The roar that erupted when white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney is something I'll never forget.

The earth beneath my feet shook as the bells of the ancient basilica tolled. And then the announcement: the unknown Robert Francis Prevost had been elected the Vicar of Jesus Christ. The Cardinal-electors had chosen a Midwesterner to be the successor of St. Peter.

As the red velvet drapes parted on the balcony, we knew we were seeing the dawn of a new era for the Church—and, in some ways, for America too.

For the first time ever, the most famous American in the world is not the President or a Hollywood icon or tech billionaire—it’s the Pope.

This is more than a Catholic triumph; it’s a cultural watershed for the U.S. In a society that often equates American influence with might or money or celebrity, now our foremost representative on the global stage is a humble man in white robes, preaching love, justice, and mercy.