Archbishop José H. Gomez will preside at a Mass of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Friday to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV.
Chicago native Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost made history Thursday as the first American ever elected leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Gomez will be joined by auxiliary bishops and other clergy from across the LA archdiocese at the 12:10 p.m. Mass in downtown Los Angeles. The Mass will be streamed here.
Friday’s Mass is the archdiocese’s official observance marking the election of the new Holy Father
Leo XIV emerged from the balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica Thursday to a cheering crowd as the 267th pope to lead the Catholic Church. The Chicago-born Prevost, who at a relatively young 69 could serve for decades, was in charge of the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru until 2023, when Francis brought him to Rome.
He was prefect of the Vatican’s powerful dicastery for bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for bishops around the world. He also served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, which keeps him in regular contact with members of the Church in that part of the world.
The Peruvian community in Hawaiian Gardens reacted with joy and surprise when the first American and first Peruvian national became the leader of the Catholic Church. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Archbishop Gomez spoke Thursday on the election of Pope Leo XIV and his history in Latin America.
“He knows Latin America, which is very important to all of us in Los Angeles,” said Archbishop Gomez. “It is a beautiful day in the life of the Catholic Church and the life of everyone on Earth.”
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles shared word of the selection of the new pope, posting on social media, “LA Catholics give thanks to God for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.”
Pope Leo XIV became the leader of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025, becoming the first pope to ever have been born in the United States. Here’s what you need to know.
The conclave began Wednesday, a day that ended with black smoke billowing out of the chapel chimney, signaling no pope had been chosen. Some of the cardinals had said they expected a short conclave, but recent history suggested a few rounds of voting would be necessary.
For much of the past century, the conclave has needed between three and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I — the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 — was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight.
Pope Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013.
The new American pope is not afraid to engage those in power as he previously condemned the policies of the Trump administration. Conan Nolan reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Francis, a former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the first Latin American pontiff, died April 21 in the Vatican at age 88 — one day after Easter. He served as pope for 12 years.
A pair of Francis’ shoes were put on display at the downtown Los Angeles cathedral. The shoes were a gift from the late pope to Noel Díaz, an evangelist and journalist from Los Angeles.
Archbishop Gomez said Francis “was always very close to all of us here at the archdiocese Los Angeles. He sent us a beautiful message during the wildfires, and he was always in touch with us.”
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles comprises a vast region of Southern California spanning three counties, Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara. As of 2005, the total Roman Catholic population within the Archdiocese stood at 4.3 million. There are 288 parishes in 120 cities.
