Exembasser before the Holy See and Friend of Leo XIV says that the new Pontiff will be a fantastic Pope

Francis Rooney, former United States from the United States before the Holy See, said this week that he believes that the relationship of Pope Leo XIV with the United States “will be very powerful.”

In an interview on May 12 with Catherine Hadro, presenter of “Ewtn News Nightly”, Rooney – who was also representative of the United States – said that Leo XIV will be a “fantastic Pope”, because “he can communicate with people in a very clear but not threatening way.”

“People will listen to their message, and he will inspire people,” Rooney said.

Rooney and the Pope became friends when “Father Bob”, as Rooney used to call him, began attending meetings in an Agustina School of which Rooney was a member of the Board of Directors.

“He was always very insightful in his comments,” Rooney said about the Pope, born Robert Prevost.

“It is not complicated,” Rooney said about León, “but it’s super intelligent.”

Rooney previously lived in Rome as he served as the United States ambassador to the Holy See. He held the position from 2005 to 2008, a period that coincided with the time when Pope Leo XIV was superior to the Agustina Order.

Rooney said they looked “a lot.”

“He did a great job by directing the order,” Rooney said. “The Agustina order has not had many of the problems that other orders have had … I attribute it to good management, such as that of Father Bob.”

As former representative of District 19 of Florida in the United States Congress, Rooney also has a diplomatic vision of what an American Pope could mean for the Church.

“Human rights and human dignity” are the issues that “must be at the top of the agenda” if Pope Leo XIV and the United States collaborate, he said.

The American roots of Pope Leo XIV will allow him to “be a bridge builder between Europe, Asia, Latin America, as well as the United States,” Rooney said.

He “can inspire young people” and “inspire our Hispanic community,” he added, arguing that such efforts can “generate more Catholics.”

An American Pope “will stimulate people to be more active in the church, and maybe some return, and maybe some join,” Roney said.

The time of Pope Leo XIV in Peru and his ability to speak Spanish and Portuguese “will excite part of our Latin Catholic community, many of which have become Protestants,” Rooney said. “Maybe we will recover them.”

“I think Pope León will continue to excite young people to consider participating in the Church,” he added.

Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.