Charlotte Catholic bishop met future Pope Leo XIV for one-on-one chat in Rome
Charlotte Catholic Bishop Michael Martin had a nearly hour-long, one-on-one, sit-down chat in Rome in April with the man elected Thursday as the next pope.
American Cardinal Robert Prevost became the first pope from the United States and chose the name Leo XIV. He’s also the first pope of the Augustinian order of priests founded in Italy in 1244.
The 69-year-old Chicago native graduated from Villanova University in Villanova, Pa., in 1977 with a Bachelor of Mathematics. He earned a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982 and was ordained a priest the same year.
Since 2023, Prevost has led the Vatican office that vets bishop nominations worldwide.
“I would say that the thing that struck me the most was his calm demeanor,” Martin recalled at a news conference after the new pope came through a curtain on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet the world. “Very, very relaxed.”
Martin said he discussed some administrative matters with Prevost.
“I was very taken by his friendly nature, but also by his awareness of the dynamics not just of the church in the United States, but, more importantly, the church around the world,” Martin said.
“I just had this sense of someone who cared very deeply about what was important to me, more so than what was important to him,” Martin said. “He was very warm and collegial. We worked out a few things that needed to be addressed, and it was great, a very good time.”
Prevost “was interested in me and what was happening in Charlotte,” Martin said.
Martin also met Prevost at large church gatherings that Prevost led in September. The gatherings tackled large issues, Martin said, “but again, he just had a certain calm about him.”
The bishop said he had no idea Prevost had been elected pope until he came onto the St. Peter’s Basilica balcony.
“I was very surprised — surprised that someone from the United States (was elected),” he said. “I never would have dreamt that we would see a pope who was born in the United States. I was very shocked to see him out there. i don’t mind admitting that at all.”
Martin said that’s because the U.S. is a much younger country than those in Europe and other parts of the world.
Still, Martin said, “I felt that he certainly had the qualifications for it and has had experience in diverse parts of the world that allow him to bring to this position, I think, a unique blessing that we’re going to see very quickly.”
Prevost also spent two decades serving the Catholic church in Peru, including as a missionary and bishop of Chiclayo.
Asked by The Charlotte Observer if Prevost will follow Pope Francis’s social justice bent, Martin said each pope “is his own person, and there’s not a sense that they’re committed to carrying out this particular agenda or not.
“There’s only one agenda, and that’s the life and mission of Jesus Christ and the church. It’s not so much about what Pope Francis did, but what the Holy Spirit is calling the church to do.”
Still, Leo XIII, who was pope from 1878 to 1903, wrote “one of the greatest encyclicals,” or guide on matters of faith, that was “very much dedicated to the working person in the world,” Martin said.
The encyclical focused on “how working people not only have rights but also can see God at work in their work,” Martin said. The encyclical elevated work to be something not just for a paycheck but “that enhances the dignity of everyone.”
“So I find that particularly interesting, but I’m not here to say that’s what he’s going to do,” Martin said. “But by taking the name (Leo), he may be giving a nod to that dynamic.”
“I am certainly thrilled that our church has selected this man, whom I believe will be a wonderful 267th successor of Christ in the chair of St. Peter,” Martin said. “And I pledge, on behalf of all of the Catholics in our Diocese of Charlotte, our support, our prayers and our best wishes to Pope Leo XIV.”
Mass for Pope Leo XIV scheduled in Charlotte
The Catholic Diocese of Charlotte will hold a special Mass to pray for Pope Leo XIV at 7 p.m. Friday at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway in Ballantyne, south Charlotte.
This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM.