Bishop Frank J. Dewane had the honor and opportunity to greet Pope Leo XIV during a recent trip to Rome.
Bishop Dewane was in Rome on business and attended the Sept. 24, 2025, General Audience in St. Peter’s Square. Following the audience, as is tradition, the Holy Father greeted the Bishop’s who were present.
@Vatican Media
“It was an honor and thrill to have the opportunity to speak with Pope Leo,” Bishop Dewane said. “He is such a warn and kind man who puts you at ease when you are in his presence. Of course, anytime you are in the presence of a Pontiff, it is a special experience. More so this time, because he is an American with a Chicago accent.”
While the encounter was brief, Bishop Dewane did extend an open invitation for a papal visit to the Diocese. While such a request is normal when meeting a newly elected Holy Father, the request had a seriousness to it, because Pope Leo’s brother, Louis Prevost, lives in Port Charlotte and is a member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Maximilian Parish.
“We could find someplace for him to stay,” Bishop Dewane said. “Although he expressed gratitude for the invitation, he remarked that such a visit was unlikely because of his enormous responsibilities and consummate busy schedule.”
The meeting in September was not the first time the pair had met. the two spoke in depth during a dinner at the North American College in Rome in 2023, while seated next to each other.
“It was a nice evening, and we spoke about many different things,” Bishop Dewane said shortly after Pope Leo was elected. “My mother was from the South Side of Chicago, where Pope Leo is from, and we spent some time discussing that. When I told him that I was from the Diocese of Venice in Florida, he smiled and said ‘Oh! I know the area well!’ He went on to say that one of his brothers lived in Port Charlotte, and that he had been to the area for a visit,” Bishop Dewane said.
The pair also spoke about the service of the Augustinian priests in the Diocese of Venice, and the positive contribution that had in the life of the Church.
“He was a very humble man who expressed interest in what was happening here in Florida, and in the Diocese of Venice,” Bishop Dewane said.
Pope Leo is the fourth Holy Father that Bishop Dewane met, the others included St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XIV, and Pope Francis.
The Bishop’s first encounter with a Pontiff was St. John Paul II, while he was in seminary in Rome. Many years later, Bishop Dewane was appointed to a post at the Vatican and as part of his work he participated in regular working lunches with Pope John Paul II.
While working in the Pontifical Council on Justice and Peace, Bishop Dewane had the opportunity to also have working meetings with Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict later appointed Bishop Dewane to the Diocese of Venice in 2006. Afterward, they met on several occasions, including during visits to Rome and during World Youth Days in Sydney 2008 and Madrid 2011.
During the reign of Pope Francis, Bishop Dewane met with the Holy Father during visits to Rome and World Youth Days in 2016 Krakow, 2019 Panama City, and 2023 Lisbon. In addition, Bishop Dewane met Pope Francis during his 2015 Apostolic Journey to the United States.
