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)]

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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.
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