LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Catholic community in Las Vegas celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for the election of Pope Leo XIV at Guardian Angel Cathedral Sunday morning.
The new religious leader on the world stage has a connection to the leader of that valley church, Archbishop George Leo Thomas.
“On a personal note, I was in complete disbelief,” Leo Thomas said.
That’s because the Archbishop had lunch with the former Cardinal turned Pope in 2023, and he told his parishioners his first reaction to the news.
“Oh my goodness, we have an American. I can’t believe it,” Leo Thomas said.
The Archbishop carried on to a crowded mass as many local Catholics said a prayer for the new Pope.
Formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago, Pope Leo XOV was elected following the second day of voting inside the Sistine Chapel.
Archbishop Leo Thomas explains the decisions that were made in that private meeting of Cardinals.
“Every time we face the election of a Pope, first they want a missionary. Someone who can put a positive face on the faith and the gospel. Next, they want a statesman who can stand on the global stage with the likes of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin and hold his own,” Archbishop Leo Thomas said.
He added Pope Leo XIV will bring humility, global experience and a heart for the poor.
Those world views are important to parishioner, Regina Smutz, since it seemed like the entire world was watching and waiting for this decision.
“When we see something like this and how many people actually are paying attention, it’s an opportunity for us to be a little more grounded in our day-to-day affairs,” Smutz said.
In Vatican City, thousands are expected to fill Saint Peter’s Square during Pope Leo’s Installation Mass Sunday, May 18th.
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