The New Pope Went to Villanova, and Philly Has Something to Say About It
Grab your holy wooder: Pope Leo XIV shall hence be known as the Delco Pope.
The Delco Pope? Villanova grad and newly elected Pope Leo XIV is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on May 8, 2025. / Photograph by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
White smoke puffed out of the Sistine Chapel chimney today, which means there’s a new pope: Robert Prevost is stepping up as the new leader of the Catholic Church and he’ll be known as Pope Leo XIV. But here’s where it gets exciting: He’s not just the first-ever U.S. pope, he’s repping Philly. Well, kind of. Delco, more specifically — and that’s still a reach because he’s a Chicago native. But whatever! He’s a Villanova graduate, a math major from the Class of ’77 — Go Wildcats! — and that’s enough for Philly social media to claim him and let the memes run wild.
*Aggressively grabs microphone*
“THE NEW POPE IS A DELCO POPE!” pic.twitter.com/xG81h7aM5z
— Justin Cerenzia (@Cerenz) May 8, 2025
So here’s what Philly has to say about Pope Leo XIV, a.k.a. the Delco Pope.
First off, we’re not getting out of this without a cheesesteak reference, and there just happens to be a place in Delco called Leo’s Steaks. His namesake?
Image via Meanwhile in Delco (Facebook)
TIL there is a Facebook account called Delco Jesus and it’s like this is the moment he’s been waiting for. The man’s got jokes!
“New pope, new pope mobile.”
The Delco Pope needs a new mobile. Image via Delco Jesus (Facebook)
Oh, he’s not done, folks!
“Heard he’s coming to Delco day at Dolans on 6/7 for a blessing”
Image via Delco Jesus (Facebook)
Which makes me wonder: Did Pope Leo go to Wawa during his time at Nova? What was his order? How does Wawa Hoagiefest’s hoagie balloon and other hoagie-based modes of transportation compare to the Popemobile?
New Pope from Chicago and Delco? Pumped for the new Eucharist!
— Matty Moo (@xomr.bsky.social) May 8, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Moving on …
Villanova has weighed in on one of their own being elected Pope. “As an Augustinian Catholic institution, we celebrate this significant day for our University community and the global Church. Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason — between spirituality and wisdom,” said university President Peter M. Donohue.
And down the street, the kids at St. Aloysius Academy in Bryn Mawr celebrated the news which is pretty cute:
Catholic school students from St. Aloysius Academy in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania — down the street from Pope Leo XIV’s alma mater, Villanova University — jumped for joy when news of the pope’s selection was shared with them during lunchtime. https://t.co/3fCEyDF8sY pic.twitter.com/kwMi01IFUo
— ABC News (@ABC) May 8, 2025
And, finally, yes, it has not gone without notice that in just one week we have gone from the Delco Pooper to the Delco Pope. What a time to be alive.
