The election of Robert Francis Prevost as the first American pope signals potential continuity with his progressive predecessor, while at the same time offering an alternate view of U.S. faith and power abroad, Northeastern observers say. “My hunch has been that, if they did choose an American, then that means the Vatican wants to project an alternative image of the United States to the world than the image projected by the current head of state,” says William Miles, a professor of political science who teaches courses on religion and politics.
Prevost debuted as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday after white smoke was seen billowing from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals came to their decision in just over 24 hours. Born in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV is also a resident of Peru, where he has worked as a missionary for many years, according to Vatican News.
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