First ever American pope delivers speech in English during first mass and everyone’s saying the same thing

Pope Leo, the very first American to become Pope, gave his first mass in English—and people everywhere are all talking about the same thing.

Born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo was chosen as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church just this past Thursday (8 May). And it didn’t take long for social media to light up with reactions to his Chicago accent during his first speech as the Pope.

The 69-year-old’s singing voice was already heard earlier this morning (9 May) during the mass, but what really surprised people was his strong accent—it caught a lot of folks off guard.

One user on X wrote: “The new Pope speaking in English with an American accent!!! What a jolt for me.”

Another added: “The Pope is speaking English, with an American accent.”

A third person joked: “The pope is gonna have an American accent and for some reason that is cracking me up like no other. The Pope should not be an American.”

And a fourth said: “You simply cannot be Pope if you have an American accent.”

American #Pope #LeoneXIV pic.twitter.com/EBEXsl7rka

— Alfredo Trezza (@AlfredoTrezza3) May 9, 2025

Reactions online have been mixed.
“A Pope with any American twang is really interesting, culturally,” pointed out one user, while another agreed: “An American pope with an American accent doesn’t sit right with me…”

Someone else on X added: “I can’t imagine a Pope with an American accent when reading Latin. It’s horrible.”

The newly chosen leader of the Roman Catholic Church is seen as a moderate voice when it comes to modern Catholic beliefs in the 21st century.

Pope Leo, 69, is the first pope to hail from the United States, having been born in Chicago (The Vatican)

The newly elected pope, chosen just over 24 hours after the papal election began, shares similar values to his predecessor, Pope Francis—especially his concern for migrants and the poor.

Before becoming pope, he criticized Donald Trump’s immigration policies, once retweeting: “There is nothing remotely Christian, American, or morally defensible about a policy that takes children away from their parents.”

To be elected, he had to secure a two-thirds majority vote from the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave.

What are Pope Leo’s beliefs?

Immigration
The new pope chose a name linked to Pope Leo XIII, known for addressing social justice during major global changes—like the Industrial Revolution, the rise of Marxism, and large-scale immigration.

LGBTQ+ Community
In 2012, he criticized media that supported values “at odds with the gospel,” including the “homosexual lifestyle” and same-sex families. Whether his stance has changed remains unclear.

Poverty
As former head of the Order of St. Augustine—a group committed to poverty and service—he aligns with Pope Francis’s views and emphasizes Church teachings on poverty.

Donald Trump
Old tweets show criticism of Trump. In 2018, he reshared a post calling child separation at the U.S. border “not Christian” and “shameful.”

Women in the Church
In 2023, he said women’s perspectives “enrich” the Church and supported their inclusion in the Dicastery for Bishops, a first-time move.