Pope Leo XIV stay updates: Cardinal hopes Pope will ‘build a bridge’ with Trump — regardless of previous criticism of administration

Cardinal Timothy Dolan has said he does not want New York Catholics holding “a grudge” against the new Pope because he is from Chicago.

Robert Prevost, who was elected as Pope Leo XIV, on Thursday, grew up on the city’s south side.

“I just hope that you all in New York don’t have a grudge against Pope Leo because he’s from Chicago, we need to get that out of the way,” Dolan, who is the Archbishop of New York, said in a video on Friday.

“What’s beautiful about it is the very fact that… I mean, we, the people of the United States are proud.”

He added: “At least nobody’s ever going to ask me ‘do you think there’s going to be an American pope?’ Well we got one!”

Dolan also pointed out that technically there had already been a Pope from “the Americas” in Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis.

In a video posted to his social media, American cardinal Timothy Dolan said his compatriot Robert Prevost would be a “darn good pope.”

“We have a pope, and I’m just so honored as as as a priest, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, as a child of God, as a faithful Catholic, I hope, as a priest, Bishop and Cardinal, to have been a big part of it. And I think you’re all excited too,” he said.

“It’s a great moment of exhilaration and hope and promise for the church. And I just hope you sense that.

“We have a pope… and take my word for it, he’s a darn good one.”

Dolan said he would be staying in Rome for the inauguration of Prevost – who will be known as Pope Leo XIV – before returning to New York.

“I miss you but I appreciate your prayers and your solidarity,” he said.

American Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who participated in the papal conclave that elected his fellow American Robert Prevost as pope, says his family is “glad” he was not chosen as pontiff.

In a video posted online, Dolan said his nephew – who was born on the day Pope Francis had been selected – said that his whole family had been “crying and cheering” at the news.

“[He said] ‘I’m glad you’re not Pope, because we want you to come back home’,” Dolan said.

“I’m kind of glad for the church that I’m that I’m not Pope either, but it’s a great it’s a great moment of exhilaration and hope and promise for the church,” he added.

American Cardinal Timothy Dolan says Pope Leo XIV will ‘want to build bridges to Donald Trump’.

“We would look to Pope Leo as a bridge builder. That’s what the Latin word pontiff means,” he said.

“He’s a bridge builder. He want to build bridges to Donald Trump, I suppose, but he would want to build bridges with the leader of every nation.”

Pope Leo XIV has already been criticised by Maga commentators as a “WOKE MARXIST POPE”, and the Pope had previously shared social media posts critical of the US President.

American Cardinals are detailing how Chicago-born Robert Prevost was elected as Pope on Thursday.

Asked by a reporter whether Cardinal Prevost had said anything that might have affected the conclave’s decision, Cardinal Wilton Gregory said he spoke well in small groups as well as to the general congregation.

“He engaged quite effectively in the smaller group conversations,” he said.

“There were many other cardinals who were not voters our senior brothers, who are also participants in the congregations. But a lot of dialogue occurred at meal time, coffee break, those moments when you can engage one another in smaller groups.”

Cardinal Gregory, who was Archbishop of Washington from 2019 to 2025, continued: “I did, on one occasion, talk to Cardinal Prevost, and we talked about Chicago, of course, but it wasn’t that he got up and made this overwhelmingly convincing speech that just wowed the body.”

The Vatican have released the details of the new Pope’s official engagements over the coming 10 days.

Tomorrow, he meets with the cardinals, and on Sunday he will recite the Regina Caeli prayer from the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica – his second public appearance from the balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square.

On Monday, he will meet accredited world press, and then on Friday he will meet the Heads of Mission of the diplomatic corps.

His next public event will be on Sunday 18 May, when he delivers a mass marking the beginning of his pontificate in St Peter’s Square, and his first general audience will follow on 21 May.

Father Rob Hagan had always referred to him as “Bob”.

Now, he said, “referring to him as Pope Leo XIV is just an honour.”

In an interview with The Independent, Fr Hagan said Pope Leo was “incredibly bright” and speaks several languages, but he was also a kind person.

“He has a real approachability and warmth, a twinkle in his eye, he’s really a gift to the church and to the world.”

Read the full interview below:

In his first homily as Pope earlier today, Pope Leo XIV warned against choosing “technology, money, success, power or pleasure” over Christian faith, and said it was one of the reasons it was ever more important to carry out the work of the Church.

Here’s more of what he said in his first Mass:

Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.

These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied.

Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.

Peru’s president Dina Boluarte says the country is filled with “pride and hope” after Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as Pope.

The Pope had called Peru home for many years and is a citizen of the South American Nation. He served as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023, after he was appointed to the role by Pope Francis.

“His election fills our nation, which was his home, his mission and his faith, with pride and hope,” Ms Boluarte said.

“May his pontificate be a guide of peace, justice and love for the world.”

In the Sistine Chapel where less than 24 hours earlier he had been elected as Pope, Leo XIV delivered a homily during Holy Mass.