The election of Pope Leo XIV is rippling far past the partitions of the Vatican — and strikes a private connection for a lot of Catholics on the Northshore.Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, marks a historic shift as the primary American pope.“It’s not simply historic. It’s private,” stated Aimee MacIver, a theology instructor at St. Scholastica Academy in Covington.A nationally identified creator with greater than a dozen bestselling theology and catechetical books, MacIver says the brand new pope’s chosen identify presents perception into his priorities.“I believe it’s actually vital that he selected the identify Leo,” MacIver stated. “The pope beforehand with that identify was identified for doing a variety of work — educating, encyclicals, ministry round social justice. So it looks like that’s a bit of trace of what his focus is.”For Rose Mary, a longtime native Catholic, the second is one in every of answered prayers.“Evidently, he’s very godly,” she stated. “And that’s what they had been on the lookout for — somebody who’s godly. It’s past phrases.”And for others, like Chris McClain, there’s a way of nationwide delight layered into the religious significance.“An American, I’m proud. I really feel very patriotic,” he stated.As Pope Leo XIV begins his management of the worldwide Catholic Church, native Catholics say they’ll be watching intently to see how he bridges cultures and brings his American perspective to the world stage.