VATICAN CITY – In a quiet moment during the secret conclave that would change his life, U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost buried his head in his hands as the weight of possibly becoming the next pope sank in, a fellow cardinal revealed Friday.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin of New Jersey, one of 132 cardinals in the Sistine Chapel for the vote, said he noticed Prevost’s visible anxiety as ballots increasingly leaned in his favor. “I looked at Bob, and he had his head in his hands,” Tobin recalled. “I was praying for him. It’s unimaginable, what a person feels at that moment.”
Despite his initial hesitation, Tobin said that once Prevost accepted his election as Pope Leo XIV, “it was like he was made for it.”
Leo XIV, formerly a missionary in Peru and a recent Vatican official, was elected Thursday evening, becoming the first American pope in history. While he remains a relatively unknown figure globally, cardinals praised his humility and readiness during their first press conference since the conclave.
The cardinals offered light-hearted glimpses into the process—mentioning the food and the sense of urgency to conclude—while also touching on Leo’s potential future diplomacy. Though Pope Francis often clashed with former U.S. President Donald Trump, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said Leo would aim to be a “bridge builder,” not only with Trump but with all global leaders.
Cardinal Robert McElroy noted that while Leo may follow in Francis’ footsteps, “we were not looking for a photocopy.” Cardinal Wilton Gregory added that the new pope deserves room to grow: “He’s never been pope before,” he said with a smile.