Believers in Los Angeles, the most Catholic city in the United States, were very happy on Thursday - a little shocked - learning from a Chicago-born pastor who has deep roots in Peru to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is surprisingly the pope is the first time the United States has been entrusted to the highest stance in religion around the world.

This is a result, attracting many followers of the Catholic Church, which has been shifting its focus from the shrinking foundations of Europe to an increasing number of faithfulness, which is totally surprising.

"I'm kind of discounted because you don't think Americans must be a good idea," said Father Allan Deck, a professor of theology at Loyola Marymount University.

But because Prevost, who was chosen to be called Pope Leo XIV, spent decades serving in the church in South America and promoted to the leadership of an international religious order known as the Augustines, he said he unified Catholics globally.

He may also inspire a revival of American faith, where many parish benches have been sparsely populated for decades.

“The choice is absolutely inspiring; I’m excited,” Dirk said.

The announcement paid tribute to Carolina Guevara, chief communications officer of the Archdiocese of Carolina, who celebrated his grandmother's 105th birthday in Piura, Peru, when the new pope announced the new pope.

"Having the Pope of Peru and the United States does reflect our immigrant church," Guevara said. "It was also a beautiful moment. It filled our hearts."

She said that for the Catholic Angelenos, especially Peruvian immigrants, “there will be great joy.”

Just like Metropolitan Los Angeles, it is difficult to exaggerate the international scope of the new pope.

Born in Chicago, he is a father of Italian and French descent and a mother of Spanish descent. He received his education in the United States and Italy. He was a naturalized citizen of Peru, where he was a pastor for 20 years. He speaks English, Italian, Spanish, Latin and French.

His diverse background and extensive contact with different cultures have filled the Catholic community in California with excitement, hope and familiarity.

"He really understands what the reality of different cultures in the United States is," said Archbishop José H. Gomez. "These cultures are real blessings for us."

Pico California director Joseph Tomás McKellar, a large network of faith-based communities, was ecstatic Thursday morning after Prevost completed his first speech, looking out over the balcony of St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.

"I'm so excited, I'm just trembling," he said. "What we have is a pope, a bridge builder who will continue to move forward in the footsteps of Pope Francis and ensure that the church is with the most excluded people, on the edge, the lost people in the turbulent times of our world."

McKelal added: “They chose an American (to the world) to illustrate the fact that the church is prioritized.”

These priorities have to change because the church itself changes so quickly.

The Catholic Church has anchored firmly in Rome and attracted its supreme leader, who saw the numbers of its parishioners shrink in countries such as Italy and Spain, with little stability in most of the United States.

The real growth is almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, and the church still dominates many aspects of culture, politics and everyday life.

Brazil, for example, has more than 120 million Catholics, accounting for more than half of the population. In Mexico, nearly 100 million Catholics make up more than 70% of the population. According to the Catholic World Mission, in the Philippines, more than 75 million Catholics make up more than 80% of the population.

So when the Argentine cardinal was elected Pope in 2013, many in the church called it a welcome, almost inevitable evolution. It was not until Pope Francis chose to be called that he began to act in an unpredictable way.

He denied some of the luxury traps favored by the Cardinal, his hands on the poor were dedicated to many long traditions and added populist talents to others.

For example, on the Holy Thursday, the Pope traditionally washed the feet of 12 male priests, a sign of humility designed to respond to the wash of the feet of his disciples the night before Jesus died. Pope Francis expanded the ceremony, moved it out of the Vatican's scope, making it a symbol of inclusion, washing prisoners, women and Muslims' feet, shocking the conservatives.

Francis created positions of power for women, including taking charge of the main Vatican office for the first time in the 2,000-year history of the Church. While maintaining the church’s long-standing homosexual sexuality is a sinful purpose, he said it is not a sin to be just homosexual and meets LGBTQ+ people from all over the world.

Progressives in the church hope that Pope Leo will continue where Francis left.

McKayla said Leo's previous comments about the LGBTQ+ community were criticized, but he believed the new pope would continue in Frances' footsteps.

"I can't imagine he wouldn't be building at the opening ceremony of the Gate of Mercy and welcome everyone, including our LGBTQ+ siblings," McKelal said.

Others question whether the new pope would have the charm and social media needed to perform as a Christian leader.

“One thing we still don’t know about Leo is whether he has the personality of a modern pope,” said Richard Wood, president of the UC Advanced Catholic Institute. "I think his humility is loud and clear, but does he have the charm that Francis has for the social media era? I doubt it would be a quieter version if he had it."

He will face other challenges, too. Wood pointed out that the Vatican is in real financial trouble.

"The Vatican has lost many American, European, African and Asian donors. Can he bring them back to the table?" he asked. “The church is rightly concerned with preaching the Gospels, but it is also a secular institution that has to pay the bills, and the new pope can help solve some of the problems.”