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Topics: News, Pope Leo, Social Media, World News, Twitter, US News
The First ever American pope, Pope Leo, has delivered a speech in English during his first mass and everyone’s saying the exact same thing.
Pope Leo, born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected as the 267th pontiff earlier this week on Thursday (8 May) and it hasn't taken long for people to rush to social media to share their thoughts on his Chicago accent during his first speech as the new Bishop of Rome.
Now, the world has already heard the 69-year-old American's singing voice during the mass earlier this morning (9 May), but it's clear his accent was a 'jolt' people were far from ready for.
One X user penned: "The new Pope speaking in English with an American accent!!! What a jolt for me."
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A second chimed in: "The Pope is speaking English, with an American accent."
"The pope is gonna have an American accent and for some reason that is cracking me up like no other. The Pope should not be an American," hit out a third.
A fourth declared: "You simply cannot be Pope if you have an American accent."
"A Pope with any American twang is really interesting, culturally," pointed out a fifth, while another echoed: "An American pope with an American accent doesn't sit right with me..."
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And a final X user added: "I can't imagine a Pope with an American accent when reading Latin. It's horrible."
The new Head of the Roman Catholic Church is considered a moderate when it comes to 21st century Catholic beliefs.
He also shares many of the same sentiments as his predecessor in that he's passionate about helping migrants and the poor, and has even previously condemned Donald Trump for his immigration policies.
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One post he retweeted blasting the US leader read: "There is nothing remotely Christian, American, or morally defensible about a policy that takes children away from their parents and warehouses them in cages. This is being carried out in our name and the shame is on us all."
It took just a little over 24 hours since the new papal election began, for the College of Cardinals to eventually land upon the successor for the late Pope Francis, who passed away Easter Monday (21 April).
Prior to ascending to the ultimate position of religious power, the new pope has to attain a two-third majority vote during a conclave, which sees 133 cardinals from across the globe anonymously pen their preference.
It's reported that the new leader ‘has chosen a name widely associated with the social justice legacy of Pope Leo XIII, who was pontiff at a time of epic upheaval in the world, the time of the industrial revolution, the beginning of Marxism, and widespread immigration'.
When it comes to LGBTQ+ views, in 2012 he expressed criticism of entertainment media that had 'sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel', which included the 'homosexual lifestyle' and 'alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children'. Whether those views have changed overtime is yet to be seen.
Pope Leo was formerly the prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, which was a community of friars who were dedicated to poverty, service and evangelisation.
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It is believed he shares similar views on the matter to Pope Francis as he drew his clergy's attention to his teachings on poverty.
Old tweets from the pope about some of Donald Trump's actions have resurfaced and it's safe to say the new pope isn't Trump's number one fan.
One damning post he reshared from Cardinal Blase J. Cupich in 2018 read: “There is nothing remotely Christian, American, or morally defensible about a policy that takes children away from their parents and warehouses them in cages. This is being carried out in our name and the shame is on us all.”
In 2023, Pope Leo told Vatican News: “On several occasions we have seen that their point of view is an enrichment." The role of women in the Church is something people will be looking out for with Pope Leo as he supported his predecessor’s devision to allow women to join the Dicastery for Bishops for the first time.
Speaking about climate change last year, the newly named pope has said it was time to make moves ‘from words to action’.