After the quick papal selection of the American-born, Chicago native now known as Pope Leo XIV, Bay Area Catholics have expressed hope for the new pope, despite knowing little to nothing about him.  

When the white smoke flew from the Vatican Thursday morning, confirming the selection of a new pope, jokes immediately started flying on social media. And when we found out the new pope was Chicago native Robert Prevost, some regional jokes started making the rounds, and we’ll embed some of our favorites throughout this post.

But the social media discourse also quickly turned to whether the man we now call Pope Leo XIV was a “Woke Pope” or a “MAGA Pope.” And much of that centered around Provost/Leo XIV’s February 3 tweet saying that “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others.” (Those were not his direct words, he was just quoting a headline from the National Catholic Reporter.)

So that would seem to indicate “Woke Pope,” right? Not so fast. The New York Times dug into the new pope’s voting record, as then-Prevost voted absentee while serving on missions in Peru. They found that he voted in Republican primaries in 2012 and 2016, and that he did vote in the 2024 Presidential election (though not the primary). That doesn’t prove he voted for Trump, but it indicates he maybe leans a little rightward.

So what’s the reaction of Bay Area Catholics? The Chronicle checks in with our favorite high-profile Catholic, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.

“For many of us, the name Leo XIV happily brings to mind Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, which was a blessing for working people,” Pelosi said in a statement. “And it is heartening that His Holiness continued the blessing that Pope Francis gave on Easter Sunday: ‘God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail.’”

Our nutty Archbishop of the SF Archdiocese Salvatore Cordileone also chimed in with a statement, but it isn't much to go on.  

“With profound joy, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on his election as the Supreme Pontiff,” the statement says. “May his papacy inspire unity and peace to a world in need to Christ’s love. May the Holy Spirit guide him, and may he be a beacon of wisdom and hope as he takes on this sacred responsibility.”

KPIX got a little more detail from Cordileone in an exclusive interview, who referenced Pope Leo XIV’s first address, in which he acknowledged his last 30 years of priesthood in Peru.

“If you noticed, at one point in his address, he shifted into Spanish, in order to greet the people of his diocese in Chiclayo, Peru,” Cordileone said. “If you notice, at that point, a big smile comes across his face. That tells me the man has a very pastoral heart. He is first and foremost, to the core of his being, a pastor of souls. He’s not a careerist, he’s not a politician, he’s not even a governor. But he’s first and foremost a pastor of souls.”

Still, it’s wild that we now have an American pope. St. Mary’s Cathedral Rev. Michael Liliedahl told the Chronicle, "If you had asked me this morning, waking up, when will we have an American pope? I would have said centuries from now, not hours from now."

Related: A List Of Things The New Pope Has In Common With San Francisco [SFist]

Image: VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MAY 8: The newly elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on May 8, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. White smoke was seen over the Vatican early this evening as the Conclave of Cardinals took just two days to elect Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who will be known as Pope Leo (Leone) XIV, as the 267th Supreme Pontiff after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

In light of today's news that Pope Benedict XVI will resign on February 28, SFist asked the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a Catholic parody performance organization that uses drag and religious imagery to call attention a variety of injustices, to give us their thoughts on the Pope's surprise adieu.

Speaking on behalf of the noted organization, Sister Eve Volution said:

I believe most Sisters are applauding his decision for many reasons. He has turned out to be such a reactionary Pope on so many different levels and seemed intent on leading the Church backwards when it comes to LGBT issues and the role of women in the Church, among other issues. The recent institution of a such a conservative Archbishop to San Francisco, who was one of the architects for Yes on 8, shows just how out of touch the Vatican is to its laity.

Coupled with his hand in the cover up of worldwide sex-abuse scandals when he was in charge of the Inquisition, now known as The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, he seems to be ill suited in leading the Church. A Church that seems increasingly at odds with the modern world. My hope, and I am sure other Sisters do as well, is that the current Cardinals vote in a Pope that steers the Church back down the path to Vatican II where it was trying to make itself relevant, progressive and inclusive. Not sure if that will happen but one could hope.

Pope Benedict XVI, a man of the cloth who will be best remembered for his homophobic decrees and an anti-Islamic snafu, is the first pope to resign in over 600 years. Peace out. Although his tenure and terror will soon come to an end, his majesty's likeness can still be found at the San Francisco Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf.

"We thought His Holiness might be getting some requests for TV coverage today," said Rodney Fong, owner / president of the Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf, via press release, "So we've made it easy for everyone to come down for a Papal audience: no ticket to Rome required."

Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) announced that he would leave office on February 28th. In a statement, he cited "both strength of mind and body are necessary [to lead], strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is."

His departure will, hopefully, make room for more moderate voices within the church. (No, not you, Tipsy.)

The the wax figure of Pope XVI can be found in the window outside thew S.F. Wax Museum at 145 Jefferson. Check it out if the mood should strike. (Nixon will be there too!)

Frank Lostaunau, 67, a retired psychotherapist and a member of SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) holds up a sign during a demonstration in front of the Archdiocese headquarters in San Francisco on Monday. The demonstration was held against the Catholic church about sexual abuse remarks made by Pope Benedict XVI. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Bye bye, Easter.

Oh, and remember this: Easter candy is crazy cheap at Walgreen's right now. Really, you could be rolling around naked in a vat of Cadbury Mini Eggs if you wanted. And why wouldn't you?

The main man who gives something so important as religion a bad name, Pope Benedict XVI, has publicly said that "saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behavior is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction." Surprise! This backwards bit of wisdom came during his year end-of-year hate speech to senior Vatican staff.

According to reports, his chat went something like this.

Rainforests deserve, yes, our protection, but the human being ... does not deserve it less," the pontiff said.

It is not "out-of-date metaphysics" to "speak of human nature as 'man' or woman'", he told scores of prelates gathered in the Vatican's sumptuous Clementine Hall.

"We need something like human ecology, meant in the right way."

Somebody needs to sic Bambi Lake (at left at right) on this sick man. Because more of this is bound to happen whenever Benedict opens his mouth.

Speaking of men who give conservative thought a bad name, Debra J. Saunders' shout out to gays as intolerant faggot stupidheads, "Intolerance 2009," was sad. Pro-Obama gay leaders are hypocrites for not loving those who oppress them? Becoming unglued over politically incorrect terms like "bigot" and "hater"? THIS argument? Again?

Really, Chronicle, you can, and yet won't, do better. Thank God for Melanie Morgan.

Image: Moon Trent's Celebrity Gallery

While his Holiness is more or less meh when it comes to non-consensual sex between a man and a boy, same-sex marriage just ain't cool in his book. So stop, says Pope Benedict.

While not directly referencing yesterday's California Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, the Pope spoke to family values groups in Europe (white trash chic!) yesterday, saying:

The union of love, based on matrimony between a man and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions...[families should be] founded on matrimony between a man and a woman, to be the natural cradle of human life.

It should be noted that the Roman Catholic Church "teaches that homosexuality is not sinful but homosexual acts are." Hence Queer Eye, et al.