Local priest reacts to newly elected pope

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — History is made as the Catholic Church gets its first American born pope.

Earlier today, white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel and shortly after that Robert Prevost was named Pope Leo XIV.

Now we are hearing from the local Catholic community about the significance of a new pope.

Father Patrick at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church says just from what he's seen today he believes that Pope Leo XIV will be a successful pope. He also tells Ozarks First that he has had a blessed few weeks because he was fortunate enough to attend Pope Francis's funeral.

"I must say that there was a moment of pause, just a moment of pause and a moment of silence because what you're looking at is a man who for 12 years actually reminded us about the presence of Jesus and reminded us about what Jesus actually was in this life. So that was very special for me to be able to be part of that," says Father Patrick Nwokoye, who was in Rome at the time of Pope Francis’s death.

He had travelled there to attend the canonization of Carlo Acutis, which was then cancelled due the pope's passing.

He then stayed to attend the funeral.

Now, nearly two weeks later Robert Prevost has been named Pope Leo XIV.

He is 267th in the churches history and is the first to be born in the United States.

Multiple people off camera today at Catholic Churches in Springfield told Ozarks First they are excited to see someone born in the United States lead the church.  

Pope Leo XIV’s father is of French and Italian decent and his mother is of Spanish decent. 

Father Patrick says that the new pope being born in the United States is very significant for the church but believes it the pope's ties to places around the world will help him be great.

"It has never happened before," says Father Patrick Nwokoye. "So this is a big thing that we have a pope that is from Chicago who has a tie to France. So, this is a big thing. But I think this this pope is going to be good for the church."