VATICAN CITY,— Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States was elected Thursday as the new pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior Vatican official announced to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
Prevost, 69, becomes the first American ever to lead the Roman Catholic Church in its 2,000-year history.
His election was confirmed after white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney and the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang out, signaling the successful conclusion of the papal conclave.
According to Vatican officials, the 133 voting cardinals began their secret ballots on Wednesday afternoon, casting their votes behind the Vatican’s medieval walls. By Thursday, they reached a decision, ending the conclave on its first full day.
Thousands of faithful packed St. Peter’s Square under sunny skies, cheering and waving flags as the announcement was made. “Long Live the Pope!” some shouted, while others held up banners reading “We have a pope!”
Pope Leo XIV appeared shortly afterward on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, giving his first public blessing and address to the assembled crowds.
Prevost, born in 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, began his religious life with the Augustinian order.
He spent years as a missionary in Peru, serving between 1985 and 1986, then again from 1988 to 1998, where he worked as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary instructor, and administrator.
In 2023, he was elevated to cardinal and appointed by Pope Francis to lead the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, overseeing the selection and vetting of bishops worldwide.
Pope Francis, died on April 21, 2025 after a 12-year papacy.
According to reports from the Vatican, Francis’ tenure was marked by efforts to modernize the Church and open discussion on controversial topics, including women’s roles and the inclusion of LGBT Catholics.
In the crowd Thursday, Sister Mona Lisa, a nun from Brazil, waved her country’s flag and wiped away tears. “I am so happy we have a pope,” she said.
U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to the news on his Truth Social account, posting congratulations to the new pontiff. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope,” Biden wrote. “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV.”
The new pope now leads the Catholic Church’s 1.4 billion members worldwide.
(With files from Reuters | AP)
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