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)