Pope Leo XIV has roots in west Michigan

Zoom in: Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago and grew up in a suburb just south of the city.

• He had an interest in the priesthood at an early age, enrolling in St. Augustine Seminary High School in Allegan County, the New York Times reported.

Flashback: Kalamazoo Bishop Edward Lohse met Prevost in 2023 at a conference, where they discussed his ties to Michigan, Lohse told the Detroit News.

What they're saying: "Not only do we know him now as our pope, but he also knows us because he was a priest here in western Michigan," Lohse told the News.

• Wes Rehwoldt, who was the pope's classmate at St. Augustine and later Villanova University, said he cried when he heard of Prevost's selection on TV.
• "We really didn't think there was a big chance that that was going to happen, until the announcement came and they said 'Robert Francis' — and I couldn't hear anything else," Rehwoldt, 69, told the Times.

Zoom out: Leo's power will transcend the faith community as he assumes a role with vast diplomatic and social influence.

• The new pope is generally seen to be continuing the more progressive stances that Pope Francis voiced — a more open, inclusive church focused on giving voice to the voiceless.
• A verified account by his name has retweeted and shared critical posts about the Trump administration, and he's spoken out against the environment's deterioration.
• The new pope also said he does not believe in "clericalizing women" in the Catholic Church and opposes abortion.

What's next: Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger will celebrate a Mass for Pope Leo at 5pm Saturday at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 9844 Woodward Ave.