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With Pope Leo Xiv in his position, college football coach legend Lou Holtz shares an important message for every Catholic around the world.
Holtz said he was a Catholic all his life and an altar boy. He urged people in the United States and around the world to be kind to Leo when they began church leadership.
"I am an old man, and I've been a Catholic all my life. I'm taught how the pope is chosen. White smoke, black smoke, etc." Holtz began his message. "But you never know the Pope because he is not reliable. He is incorrect when everything is made for religious decisions and we are taught to respect him, pray for him and listen to him.
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Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz was held at the first agenda summit of the First American Policy Academy on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at Marriott Marquis. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
"I hope this pope will be a very, very good pope, but I do know: He is our pope. We have to defend him, we have to encourage him, we have to pray for him, we have to help him."
Holtz continued to debate that “too many people don’t give enough to the church today”, perhaps due to some people not believing in the past Pope’s decision.
"The Church has the same financial obligations as anything else. So it doesn't matter whether you like the Pope or not. He is our Pope. You have to respect him, pray for him, and care about him at the same time, accept the decisions he made.
Media posts view Pope Leo XIV as a potential 'counterweight' for Trump
“For us, whoever he is, whether we like him or not. Pray for him. Pray for the decisions they make.
"Good luck, I promise you that I will pray for the Pope, because I know that the Pope will pray for me and for the choice he makes for the best interest of this country."
Since last week's election of Cardinal Robert Prefoster as the first pope in the United States, many people want to know about the new leader of the church.
Leo XIV left General Augustine in Rome after visiting Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP)
His conservative brother Louis Prevost withdrew the charge that Pope Leo would become the "awakening" successor to the late Pope Francis.
"He's not super political," Prevost told Piers Morgan. "He didn't leave, he wasn't right, he looked at the whole scene, got information from both sides and somehow found a way to go along the middle instead of too much feather."
However, Prest did address Pope Leo's previous criticism of President Donald Trump's approach in the immigration crisis.
“He might offend their way of moving out people and commenting on it, but, “You still have to follow the rules of the law. ”
Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz listens before receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, December 3, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Holtz, a staunch Trump supporter, released a similar video of his praise in the 47th president.
Holtz taught for 33 years in college, with six different courses, most notably Notre Dame, who scored 100-30 years in his 11 years of fighting the Fighting Irish.
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