The Catholic Church has elected its first-ever American pope. Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, a former missionary and Vatican official, was chosen by unanimous decision by the conclave on to be the successor of Pope Francis Thursday, May 8th, 2025 taking the name Pope Leo XIV.
White smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, signalling that the 133 cardinal electors had reached consensus on a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.
Moments later, Leo XIV appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, wearing the traditional red papal mozzetta over his white cassock.
“Peace be with you all,” the Pope declared in Italian, followed by a brief address in Italian and Spanish. He made no remarks in English.
Prevost was born in Chicago and spent most of his religious life in Peru, serving as a missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, between 2015 and 2023. He was elevated to cardinal only last year, after Pope Francis appointed him to head the Vatican’s office overseeing the appointment of bishops worldwide.
Leo XIV succeeds Pope Francis, who died on 21 April 2025 after a 12-year papacy.
Pope became the 267th pope in the church’s history, and the first to take the name Leo since Pope Leo XIII, who led the church from 1878 to 1903 and is remembered for championing workers’ rights and laying the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching.
The new Pope used his first address to thank his predecessor and pledge continuity with Francis’s vision of 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”.
Former US President Donald Trump posted on X (formerly Twitter) said, “Congratulations to the Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honour to realise that he is the first American Pope.”
“What excitement, and what a great honour for our country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment,” said Trump.
Follow us on
