Villanova’s Perspective on Alumni Pope Leo XIV: Insights and Sentiments

Father Peter Donohue, the president of Villanova University, was having lunch with some of the school’s alums in a Chicago restaurant on Thursday when he received news of white smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new Pope. Donahue, who knew that his fellow Villanova alum Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was participating in the papal conclave, was surprised to see Cardinal Prevost announced as the new Pope, as Prevost had only been a Cardinal since 2023 and no American had ever been elected Pope before. This made Donahue the first person in history to lead an American university with a Pope among its alumni. Villanova University, known for its academic achievements and recent success in college basketball, is celebrating this historical moment. Knocking Memes are also popular around the internet. Villanova is unsure of how this will affect the school in terms of applications and donations, but there could be a positive impact. Donohue has sent Pope Leo XIV a congratulatory email and would like to invite him to be the commencement speaker in the future.

Source: https://time.com/7284022/pope-villanova-leo-xiv-robert-prevost/