Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger on Thursday expressed “deep joy and gratitude to God” for the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in the Roman Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history.

The cardinals elected Robert Prevost, a missionary who was born in Chicago, spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, to the papacy on Thursday. He took the name Leo XIV.

More: Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, overcame a taboo against a U.S. pontiff

Weisenburger, who was installed as Detroit’s archbishop in March, gave thanks for not only Prevost’s election as the bishop of Rome but also “for his generous and faithful response to the Lord’s call to serve the Church in this profound way.”

“Pope Leo XIV’s election leaves me exceptionally joyful, and I must humbly acknowledge that I did not anticipate a United States citizen would be elected Pope,” the archbishop said in the statement. “His lifetime of ministry includes many years of ministry as a bishop in Peru, giving him a thorough understanding of South America. Moreover, his close association with Pope Francis, history of charitable efforts for the poor and marginalized, extensive prior experience in the Vatican, and personal humility are all qualities that perhaps focused the light of Christ upon him for his brother Cardinals to see.”

Weisenburger asked for prayers for Leo XIV as he now begins “his sacred ministry as the successor of Saint Peter, the Vicar of Christ on Earth.”

“As we give thanks for his election let us also ask the Lord to pour fourth every grace of the Holy Spirit that he will know wisdom, compassion, and joy as he leads us into the future,” he concluded.

The Associated Press contributed.

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