🕊️ The ‘Nova grad who would be pope | Morning Newsletter

It’s Friday, Philly, and yet another potentially rainy one.

The first pope from the United States is Chicago born, a Peruvian citizen, and a Villanova University graduate — which means he’s almost certainly the first pope who knows who the Phanatic is, too. See how local Catholics reacted to the new Pope Leo XIV.

And a 10th grader at Martin Luther King High School has had no English teacher since October. Now, the Philadelphia School District wants her to take the English Keystone test — and she’s certain she’s going to fail. We explain what happens when teacher vacancies go unfilled.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on Met Gala looks, Wildwood tram cars, and more.

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“On Eagle’s Wings,” indeed: Robert Prevost, 69, who has chosen the papal name Leo XIV, is the first pope with Philly ties.

🕊️ The Augustinian graduated from Villanova with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1977 and received an honorary doctorate of humanities from the university in 2014. Villanova’s president, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, was among the faithful Philadelphians who chimed in on the selection, calling it a “proud and extraordinary day” for the prestigious Catholic university. (Take a look at his college yearbook photo.)

🕊️ Experts see Prevost as a centrist who shares many views with the late Pope Francis. One Philadelphia reverend and friend called him “a commonsense person” and suggested the church’s new leader may be sympathetic on immigration.

🕊️ Of course, the internet rushed to social media to read Prevost’s old posts and get a sense of his beliefs. And yes, sports fans have thoughts, too. Among them: Can he stream Big East games in Vatican City?

Get to know the new Catholic leader, and check Inquirer.com throughout the day for the latest.

Kalorena Gonzalez says she and her classmates haven’t been assigned any work — or learned anything at all — in their 10th-grade English class since October, when their full-time teacher left the East Germantown school.

The vacancy is one of almost 300 in the Philly School District. Gonzalez recently spoke before the school board to draw attention to her class’ plight.

“It’s just unfair,” the 15-year-old told The Inquirer. “It’s like they want us to fail — they haven’t gotten us the proper education.”

Education reporter Kristen A. Graham has the story on her pitch, and the school board’s response.

In other education news: President Donald Trump’s administration said yesterday it would investigate University of Pennsylvania’s foreign funding. Thursday was also the deadline for Penn to respond to its demands regarding the school’s decision to allow a transgender swimmer to compete on the women’s team. Plus, Pennsylvania changed how it funds schools to help poor districts, but some are still facing budget cuts.

Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.

This week, we’re resurfacing an explainer on whether jury duty is really, actually random. If you’re someone who has been called multiple times, especially in quick succession, you might be skeptical.

But officials say yes, it really, actually is — some people are just unlucky (or lucky, if you see jury duty as a fun civic responsibility). Names are pulled from voter registration and driver’s license information in Philadelphia. However, there are some filing mistakes that could ensure you’re picked more often. Here’s the full explanation.

Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.

The newly flowing Manayunk Canal will soon be home to thousands of mussels. Why will they be placed there?

A) Food for residents

B) Water filtration

C) To encourage breeding

D) Decoration

Think you know? Check your answer.

⚕️ Noting: Gov. Josh Shapiro’s response to reported concerns about Sen. John Fetterman’s health.

🥪 Leading: A hoagie crawl with Asif Ali, the star of Hulu’s Deli Boys.

🍸 Visiting: These eight great rooftop restaurants and bars in the Philly suburbs.

🏰 Dreaming of: Making big property purchases, including a $2.8 million Bryn Mawr home with a castle-like turret and two Ocean City hotels for sale as an $8.75 million package.

🏚️ Remembering: When H.H. Holmes, of Chicago “House of Horrors” infamy, was executed at Moyamensing Prison on this week in Philly history.

Hint: Morning radio show _ & _

EVEN PROTESTS

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Grace Shallow, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Glu Hospitality. The cofounder of the now-defunct restaurant group seized control of a Northern Liberties Mexican hotspot on Cinco de Mayo, signaling the latest round in a dispute with his onetime partners.

🎓 One last determined thing: Former Phillie Jeff Manto left Temple University for a baseball career 22 credits shy of a degree. He always planned to graduate someday, but one knowing heckler “sparked the interest” more than 20 years ago. Finally, on Thursday, he graduated from Temple 40 years after leaving.

May you achieve whatever you set out to do this weekend. See ya!

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