Trump calls election of first American pope a 'great honour'

US President Donald Trump has called the election of the first American pope, Robert Francis Prevost, who will be known as Pope Leo XIV, a "great honour" for the country and said he looks forward to meeting him.

Trump is among the many American political figures applauding the historic appointment of the 69-year-old native Chicagoan to lead the Catholic Church.

"To have the Pope from America is a great honour," Trump said later when asked for reaction to the news.

Pope Leo was born in Chicago and attended university outside Philadelphia, before becoming a missionary in Peru.

Trump's Republican colleague, House Speaker Mike Johnson also congratulated the new pope and wrote on social media: "May God bless the first American papacy in these historic days."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Catholic, also extended his congratulations.

"This is a moment of profound significance for the Catholic Church, offering renewed hope and continuity amid the 2025 Jubilee Year to over a billion faithful worldwide," Rubio said.

"The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff."

The US has the fourth largest number of Catholics.

Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson also offered a note of congratulations on social media.

"Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon."

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the moment "historic".

"Hailing from Chicago, Pope Leo XIV ushers in a new chapter that I join those in our state welcoming in at a time when we need compassion, unity, and peace," he wrote on social media.

Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic himself, is yet to make a public statement about Pope Leo's selection.

As cardinal, Pope Leo did not shy away from challenging the views of the vice president.

He has reposted a social media post critical of the Trump administration's deportation of a US resident to El Salvador, and shared a critical comment piece written about a TV interview given by Vance to Fox News.

"JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others," read the post, repeating the headline from the commentary on the National Catholic Reporter website.