Robert Prevost, a cardinal from the United States, has been elected as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
At 69, he becomes the 267th pope and the first American ever to hold the position. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV and is set to lead the global Catholic population of 1.4 billion.
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The new pope stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and greeted the cheering crowd, marking the start of his papacy.
He thanked the cardinals for their trust and acknowledged his former congregation in Peru, addressing the crowd in several languages. He also offered prayers in honor of Pope Francis.
The traditional white smoke from the Sistine Chapel signaled his election, prompting cheers and the ringing of St. Peter’s Basilica bells. The conclave, involving 133 cardinals, concluded on its second day with the unexpected choice of an American pope.
Pope Leo XIV brings with him decades of international service and a strong missionary background. He spent ten years as a missionary in Trujillo, Peru, and later served as the bishop of Chiclayo from 2014 to 2023. Most recently, he held a senior role at the Vatican overseeing the appointment of bishops worldwide.
In a past interview, Pope Leo XIV described his mission as spreading the Gospel wherever possible, noting that evangelization is a calling for all Christians.
