TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday signaling a new pope was chosen. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV and the first American pontiff.
“The pope plays a lot of roles," Father Edward Lucero, the Diocese of Tucson's Moderator of the Curia, said. "And one of them is a world leader.”
Father Lucero runs much of the day to day operations in the diocese, leading over 400,000 Catholics in Tucson..
“I went to seminary in Chicago so it was kind of weird to think that same streets I'm familiar with, Pope Leo was walking down," he said.
The announcement drawing crowds of millions in Italy and in Tucson people like Arturo Villa were feeling the excitment.
“Pope Francis was very for the people and I was looking forward to seeing who the next pope would be,” Villa said. “It gave me goosebumps you know.”
The Diocese of Tucson said in a statement that they will celebrate mass in gratitude of the new pope on May 18th at 10a.m.
“It’s quite exciting the fact that we just never thought there would be an American pope and there is one," Lucero said.
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Tina Giuliano is a reporter for KGUN 9. She is a native Arizonan and grew up in Scottsdale. Tina is passionate about storytelling and is excited to work telling Tucson's stories. Share your story ideas and important issues with Tina by emailing tina.giuliano@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
