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

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 412 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 412

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2025

 Mr. Moore of West Virginia (for himself, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Barrett, Mr.
 Zinke, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Bresnahan, Mr. Rulli, Mrs. Bice,
Mrs. McClain, Mr. Rose, Mr. Steil, Mr. Messmer, Mr. Gimenez, Mr. Smith
of New Jersey, Mr. Hill of Arkansas, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Tony Gonzales
 of Texas, Mr. Hurd of Colorado, Mr. Bacon, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia,
Mrs. Miller-Meeks, and Mr. Stauber) submitted the following resolution;
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 Congratulating 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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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'';
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;
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;
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;
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;
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, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his election
        as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first
        American to serve in this sacred role;
            (2) recognizes the historic significance of his election
        for the American Catholic community;
            (3) commends Pope Leo XIV for a lifetime of service,
        humility, missionary zeal, and commitment to embodying Christ's
        mercy and pastoral care; and
            (4) extends our prayers to Pope Leo XIV as he begins his
        pontificate and shepherds the world's 1,400,000,000 Catholics
        with wisdom and grace.
                                 <all>