‘That’s Bob’: Pope Leo XIV's former university celebrates appointment as first U.S. pontiff
Inside Pennsylvania, students, faculty, and clergy of Villanova University have expressed both surprise and pride following the election of alumnus Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, to the papacy.
The American-born pontiff, affectionately known as “Bob” to close associates, earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova in 1977.
The election of Pope Leo XIV on May 8 was historic, as he became the first American to ascend to the highest office of the Catholic Church.
He succeeds Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, Easter Monday. Pope Leo XIV holds dual citizenship in the United States and Peru.
“I think first of all, nobody was really expecting an American pope to be announced in this conclave… He had similar experiences to us at Villanova. I think that was a pretty surreal moment,” one student told AFP.
“I'm in my dorm with my door open, and just all across the floor, I hear people start, like, yelling. Everyone's like, so excited. I ran out of my room because I knew one of my friends was down the hall, and we just looked at each other. We're like the new pope is from Villanova,” another student recalled the excitement on campus.
The election of Pope Leo XIV has also prompted questions regarding the future direction of the Church, particularly concerning the inclusion of women in leadership roles—a key initiative of Pope Francis.
According to the Vatican, women’s representation in the Church workforce increased from 19.2% to 23.4% after a decade of Francis’ papacy.
Pope Leo XIV, who also obtained a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from the Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in 1982, is expected to uphold this legacy.
“He did have female theologians as his professors. And so I think even just experientially that's a given… I think in terms of Pope Francis appointing women to key leadership positions, I don't think that will change,” a member of the Villanova faculty noted.
