DENVER — As soon as white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, Catholics around the world rejoiced. A new pope was chosen, Robert Prevost, who will now be known as Pope Leo XIV.
In Denver, Catholics also rejoiced — many of them dropping whatever they were previously doing to get to a special mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
"We're just thrilled, beyond thrilled," said Cara Kerr, who rushed to the special mass with her husband, Noel Kerr. "I just started clapping and jumping up and down."
The Kerrs told Denver7 they're new Catholics, but had been waiting for the white smoke since the beginning of the conclave.
"I wasn't actually feeling well this morning, but I just was so excited that we have a holy father now, and just ecstatic," Cara said.
The special midday mass at the cathedral was led by Fr. Samuel Moorhead, who's a part of the Archdiocese of Denver.
"Our hearts are filled with amazing joy today," Fr. Moorehead said. "Not only do we have a Habemus Papam, a new pope, but he turned out to be an American, which we've never thought in the life of the Catholic Church, that we would ever see this moment."
A shocking moment indeed, not only for Fr. Moorehead, but even for those like the Kerrs and other Denver Catholics.
"I was like, Who is this man?" said Monica Favela Georga, who attended mass. "I have no idea who the new pope is, besides the name, that his first name is Robert, and that he worked for a while with South Americans and Pope Francis appointed him to some roles, but I really don't know that much about him."
- Denver7's Russell Haythorn spoke to the Catholic community Wednesday about their hopes for the new pope. Watch what they had to say by clicking in the story below.
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Denver Catholics share thoughts on selection of new pope: Denver7 | Your Voice
Meantime, those like Fr. Moorehead have spent days working their way through the potential new popes, learning about the now-Pope Leo XIV along the way.
"I had to look him up and see who he was," Fr. Moorehead said. "Now that said, I was doing a little bit of research on all of the potential candidates over the course of the last week, and I saw the Chicago origins that he went to school there, but then he found his vocation as an Augustinian priest, and that started taking him around the world. So, we have a well-traveled American, born and bred, Pope now."
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Who is Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first American pope?
An American-born Pope, something Fr. Moorehead made sure to point out.
"I think because the U.S. with all of our other political clout and the influence we have on the global scene, everybody's always just written it off and said, 'Oh, we'll have, oh, an Italian or somebody from another part of the world,' but to have somebody who grew up in Chicagoland, go off and become pope, is quite a bit of good news for all of us in the middle of this country here today," he said.
For those like Favela George and the Kerrs who sprung up to celebrate, the joy simply comes from the decision being reached.
"I just hope for, you know, for the church, for the Pope, for just prayers, prayers for him, really prayers, prayers for the church in this country and abroad," Cara said.
"I think it's exciting for a lot of people," Favela George added.
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