Central Valley Daily

May 9: The Diocese Of Fresno Reacts To Pope Leo XIV – The First From The US

By Elizabeth Arakelian,

Published May 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT

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Smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday in Vatican City, signaling a new pope had been elected. Chandler Marquez, spokesman for the Diocese of Fresno, witnessed the moment firsthand. He talks to us about Pope Leo XIV, the first person from the United States to lead the Catholic Church.

Plus, the latest news headlines: House members reintroduce bill that would offer legal status for farmworkers, and a new fee system is coming to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Central Valley Daily

Elizabeth Arakelian

A Valley native, Elizabeth earned her bachelor's degree in English Language Literatures from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her master's degree in journalism from New York University. She has covered a range of beats. Her agriculture reporting for the Turlock Journal earned her a first place award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

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Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

See stories by Jonathan Linden