HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 160

Reps. Schriver, Cavitt, Meerman, Maddock, Pavlov, Kelly, Posthumus, Roth, Frisbie, Rigas, Alexander, DeSana, Markkanen, Fox, Wozniak, Wortz, Greene, DeBoer, Martin, Neyer, Aragona, Hoadley, DeBoyer, Smit, Fairbairn and Bohnak offered the following resolution:

A resolution to congratulate His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his historic election as the 267th pontiff of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and the first American pontiff.

Whereas, On May 8, 2025, white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the new Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the papal name Leo XIV; and

Whereas, Pope Leo XIV is the first American-born pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, marking a historic milestone for American Catholics and faithful Catholics around the world; and

Whereas, Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, to a patriotic American family, Pope Leo XIV was raised in the Catholic tradition in Dolton, a working-class suburb where faith, family, and service formed the foundation of his life; and

Whereas, A graduate of Villanova University with a degree in mathematics and an alumnus of the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV embodies a life committed to both intellectual and spiritual rigor; and

Whereas, As Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine, Pope Leo XIV has lived out the Order?s mission to be ?of one mind and one heart on the way to God,? emphasizing humility, unity, and service; and

Whereas, Pope Leo XIV spent decades as a missionary and church leader in Peru, where he served faithfully as a bishop, and ministered to the spiritual and material needs of his communities; and

Whereas, Pope Leo XIV has exemplified the humility and courage of a true servant of Christ, not seeking worldly acclaim but bearing witness to the Gospel in places where it is often ridiculed or rejected, reminding the faithful that a lack of belief often coincides with ?the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family, and so many other wounds that afflict our society?; and

Whereas, In 2023, Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals and appointed him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, entrusting him with the vital role of shaping episcopal leadership worldwide; and

Whereas, Pope Leo XIV is the first Augustinian pope, continuing the Church?s long tradition of drawing upon the wisdom and example of the great religious orders; and

Whereas, He speaks five languages fluently and can read Latin and German, reflecting his deep theological formation and ability to connect with all members of the Universal Catholic Church; and

Whereas, The name Leo XIV honors a tradition of socially engaged papacy dating back to Pope Leo I (?Leo the Great?) and Pope Leo XIII, who championed Catholic social teaching and the dignity of work; and

Whereas, In his ministry and teaching, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed that ?the credibility of the Church does not come from popularity, but from fidelity?, and thus has called clergy and laity alike not to shape the Church in the image of the world, but to be conformed to Christ through truth, chastity, self-sacrifice, and Eucharistic love; and

Whereas, His first public words as pope from the central loggia of St. Peter?s Basilica were ?Peace be with all of you?, setting the tone for a pontificate grounded in the unity, humility, and love of Christ, The Good Shepherd: now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body congratulate His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his historic election as the 267th pontiff of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and the first American pontiff. We recognize the historic significance of his election for the American Catholic community, commend Pope Leo XIV for a lifetime of service, humility, missionary zeal, and commitment to embodying Christ?s mercy and pastoral care, and extend ?our prayers as he begins his pontificate and shepherds the world?s 1,400,000,000 Catholics with wisdom and grace.