The election of Robert Prevost as the next pope made headlines worldwide as he became the first American to lead the Catholic Church. Of course, late-night TV had a lot to say about the historic event.
Prevost was considered to be on the shortlist given his role inside the Vatican. Reports also indicated he was the preferred choice of his predecesor, Pope Francis.
But the fact Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, is American is what really stood out. And American late-night hosts were quick to weigh in.
Jimmy Kimmel on the new pope
Jimmy Kimmel's monologue on Thursday night didn't let the event pass by without commentary. The ABC host, unsurprisingly, connected the story to President Donald Trump.
“We have an American pope and a Russian president,” Kimmel said. “Isn’t it incredible?” The comedian added the new pope's American nationality would be on display, joking the Pope Mobile would be replaced with a Ford F-150 with "truck nuts."
Desi Lydic isn't sure about an American pope
Over on The Daily Show, host Desi Lydic wasn't exactly sold on an American pope. The late-night personality questioned whether it was really the best decision for Catholics around the world.
"And let me just say, as an American, are you sure about this?" Lydic reacted. "We don’t really have the gravitas that you associate with pope-iness. We’re less ‘somber procession’ and more ‘monster truck rally.’”
Lydic continued, suggesting this will the first pope to have some pop culture knowledge that doesn't exactly scream "His Holiness." The comedian shared “I just think it’s just a little bit weird that the holiest man in the world probably knows all the words to the Chili’s ‘Baby Back Ribs’ song.”
Stephen Colbert celebrates the new pope's Chicago roots
The entire comedy world seemed to fixate on the new pope's Chicago roots. Countless comedians have come through the city's improv scene, so there's definitely a shared frame of reference for anything involving the Windy City.
Stephen Colbert dusted off his Chicago accent during his coverage of the story. The Late Show lamented that he'll have to retire his Italian accent for something a little more familiar.
“From now on, the pope is going to sound like this: 'Hey, dere, it’s yer buddy Leo, the deep dish papa. Just talked to God, and not even he can help da White Sox. Sorry. First order of business, I will be canonizing Michael Jordan. Now let’s end by saying daaa prayers.'”