The first “Hot Topic” discussion of the day on Friday’s (May 9) new episode of The View was the selection of Pope Leo XIV to succeed the late Pope Francis. Among the five present panelists, three identified as Catholics (Joy Behar — though she said she’s “lapsed” — Sunny Hostin, and Ana Navarro), so they had some pretty topical reactions to the conclave’s choice of its first-ever American pope, former Cardinal Robert Prevost from Chicago. Before they could get to that, though, Behar had a quick Donald Trump joke to share with the crowd.

“What do you want to bet Trump says the election was stolen?” she said — referring to Trump’s false assertions that he didn’t lose to Joe Biden in 2020 — earning laughter from her cohosts and the studio crowd.

From there, Hostin was the first to share her opinion on the choice and said she was taken by the pageantry of it all. “I always think it’s exciting the watch the Conclave and look for the black smoke and the white smoke and just the ceremony of it. And during these very trying times in our country, we certainly need spiritual leadership,” she explained before expressing her concerns about Prevost’s prior statements about the LGBTQ community. “In 2012, he gave an address to bishops, and he lamented the popular culture fostered and sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel… and then he cited the homosexual lifestyle and alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children. I think that Pope Francis certainly made great changes in terms of embracing the LGBTQ+ community and extending blessings to the community. And I hope that this is that this pope doesn’t roll back.”

Navarro pointed out that the statement was over a decade old and expressed optimism that things may have changed since then. “In 2012, there were even a lot of American politicians who today are pro-gay marriage and pro-equal rights, who were not. So maybe with the weight of the papacy and the idea that he just said when he went out on the balcony, that the church loved everyone and was inclusive in his first message [he’ll change his mind]. So until we see otherwise, I think we need to pray and hope that he follows in Francis’ footsteps in being inclusive, forgiving, compassionate, welcoming, and speaking up for the marginalized, speaking up for the poor, speaking up for the migrants, speaking up for the targeted, speaking up for all those people that today feel alone.”

Sara Haines, who identifies as Presbyterian, also expressed concerns that Prevost “failed to act on sexual abuse cases in both Peru and the United States.”

Alyssa Farah Griffin, a protestant, then added, “While there are a lot of open questions, he does seem like a real advocate for the displaced, for refugees, and that’s just a core tenet of both the Catholic and Christian faith. So I think he’ll continue to be an advocate in that space. And it is just interesting. I mean, he’s an American. That’s a totally different experience to bring to the Vatican. So to see what that is like in this moment, I will pray for him, and I’m excited for my Catholic friends as they celebrate that.”

Hostin went on to add that she was comforted by the fact that Francis “thought highly” of Prevost before his death.

“So no more taking alfajores and churrasco, now it’s ceviche and Chicago pizza,” Navarro said to close out the conversation.

The View, weekdays, 11 a.m. ET, ABC