Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Leo XIV, becoming the first US pontiff.
Pope Leo, appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after white smoke had billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel signifying the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the Unites States delivers the "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and to the world) message from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, May 8, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
"Peace be with you all," the new pope told the cheering crowd, speaking in fluent Italian. He also spoke in Spanish during his brief address but did not say anything in English.
Aged 69 and originally from Chicago, Prevost has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and became a cardinal only in 2023. He has given few media interviews and rarely speaks in public.
President Donald Trump swiftly congratulated Prevost on becoming the first U.S. pope. "What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States, appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, May 8, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
Prevost becomes the 267th Catholic pope after the death last month of Pope Francis, who was the first Latin American pope and had led the Church for 12 years and widely sought to open the staid institution up to the modern world.
Francis enacted a range of reforms and allowed debate on divisive issues such as women's ordination and better inclusion of LGBT Catholics.
Leo thanked Francis in his speech and repeated his predecessor's call for a Church that is engaged with the modern world and "is always looking for peace, charity and being close to people, especially those who are suffering".
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert F. Prevost of the U.S. appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, May 8, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
Ahead of the conclave, some cardinals called for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, while others said they wanted to turn back the clock and embrace old traditions.
Unlike Francis, who spurned much of the trappings of the papacy, Prevost wore a traditional red papal garment over his white cassock.
The last pope to take the name Leo led the Church from 1878-1903 and was known for his devoted focus to social justice issues, and is often credited with laying the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching.
Cardinals stand on a balcony, after U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV by the conclave, at the Vatican, May 8, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
Prevost has attracted interest from his peers because of his quiet style and support for Francis, especially his commitment to social justice issues.
Prevost served as a bishop in Chiclayo, in northwestern Peru, from 2015 to 2023.
Francis brought him to Rome that year to head the Vatican office in charge of choosing which priests should serve as Catholic bishops across the globe, meaning he has had a hand in selecting many of the world's bishops.
Prevost said during a 2023 Vatican press conference: "Our work is to enlarge the tent and to let everyone know they are welcome inside the Church."
