U.S. President Donald Trump has praised the election of Pope Leo XIV—the first-ever pontiff from the United States—as a “great honor” for the country.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump congratulated Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was elected as the new pope.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country,” Trump wrote.
The 69-year-old Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, addressed a cheering crowd from the Vatican balcony in Italian shortly after his election.