BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Local Catholics are celebrating the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, with hope and excitement for his leadership.
- White smoke rises in the Vatican as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is elected Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope in Catholic Church history.
- Local parishioners in Kern County express excitement and hope for the new pope's leadership and spiritual direction.
- Rosie Reveles of Saint Clement Church highlights a surge of joy among the parish community, calling it a moment of shared inspiration.
- Some parishioners, like James Crettol, were surprised the new American pope didn’t speak English during his first address.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
There’s officially white smoke blowing from the Vatican. The parishioners I spoke to say they’re excited for the new American pope.
As parishioners gathered in Vatican City miles away, here in Kern County, local Catholics are also celebrating as they prepare for Mass.
Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo the 14th, is the first U.S.-born pontiff in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history — and many here in our county are proud, to say the least.
"We don't really know much about him, so we’re expecting a lot of surprises from him — hopefully good and exciting ones." Rosie Reveles said.
Rosie, who works in the office at Saint Clement Catholic Church, says their parish community is feeling very hopeful about the new pope's leadership and the direction he will bring to the Catholic Church.
"Our community at Saint Clement seemed to be so excited. We've been getting calls — especially from our fellow parishioners. She was so happy and excited to announce that we have a new pope. Just feeling her excitement — it transmitted to us." Reveles said.
Meanwhile, over at Saint Francis Catholic Church, parishioners also felt the enthusiasm.
James Crettol attends Saint Francis Catholic Church and he tells me, "this morning, I was driving to Bakersfield when I heard a news flash — white smoke. So I pulled over, got my iPad out, and pulled up the news. They said it was going to be about an hour, so I kept watching until the pope was announced. He came out, did his whole speech, and then they said he was American. It was just unbelievable."
Crettol says with all the excitement, there was one thing that shocked him. "The only disappointing thing is, he spoke in Latin, in Italian, and he spoke in Spanish — but he didn’t speak in English. And he’s an American pope. I’ve talked to several people, and everybody was waiting for him to speak in English." He said.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost becomes the 267th pope of the Catholic Church. He was born in Chicago, graduated from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and later served in Peru — where he became a naturalized Peruvian citizen.
Community members express the importance and value this role holds, adding that his impact will be felt not only by the Church but by the community.
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