A US-born prelate, Robert Francis Prevost has been named the new Roman pontiff
Chicago-born prelate Robert Francis Prevost has been chosen on the second day of conclave
A new Pope has been elected by the conclave of cardinals at the Vatican. A US-born prelate, Robert Francis Prevost, has been named as the new pontiff. He is the first American Pope in history.
History has been made in Rome on Thursday with Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old native of Chicago, elected as pope—the first American ever to hold the role.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost, 69, has taken the name Leo XIV. He spent much of his church career as a missionary in Latin America and worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, before becoming bishop of the Peruvian city of Chicalayo.
Taking the name Leo XIV, Prevost emerged on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet tens of thousands gathered in the Vatican. “Peace be with you all,” the new pontiff said, offering “the first greetings of the resurrected Christ” and urging that his message of peace “enter our hearts and our families.”
Prevost was made a cardinal in 2023 and was appointed head of the Congregation for Bishops by the late Pope Francis the same year. The Congregation for Bishops is a powerful department within the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church that oversees the selection of most new bishops. The appointment elevated Prevost’s status to a potential papal candidate.
Prevost, a former missionary in Latin America, spent a decade serving in Trujillo, Peru, before becoming bishop of Chiclayo. Elevated to cardinal in 2023 by the late Pope Francis, he was also appointed head of the powerful Congregation for Bishops, the Vatican body responsible for appointing most of the world’s bishops—a role that put him on many shortlists for the papacy.
It is the third time in a row now that a Pope has been elected on the second day of the conclave. The late Pope Francis was elected after five rounds of voting. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, was elected in four.
Prevost succeeds Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88, just one day after presiding over Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Francis was the first Jesuit and the first Latin American pope.
The support of at least 89 of the 133 cardinal electors participating in the conclave was needed to elect a new bishop of Rome. In accordance with tradition, a senior cardinal first addressed the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica with the words: “Habemus papam!” – Latin for “We have a pope!”
This week’s conclave saw 133 cardinal electors convene, with at least 89 votes needed to secure victory. Leo XIV was elected on the conclave’s second day, continuing a modern trend: Francis was elected after five rounds of voting, while Benedict XVI required four.
The new Pope himself then appeared on the balcony to deliver his first words as the pontiff. “Peace be with you all,” Leo XIV said, adding that it was “the first greetings of the resurrected Christ.” He then explained that he would “also like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts and our families.”
A senior cardinal confirmed the news from the loggia of St. Peter’s with the traditional “Habemus papam!” before Leo XIV stepped forward to meet the world.
Pope Leo XIV’s predecessor, Francis passed away at the age of 88 on April 21, a day after greeting worshippers gathered for Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was the first Jesuit and the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church.
