American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been chosen as the new leader of the Catholic Church. He made history as the first American Pontiff. He is the 267th pontiff to lead 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. His chosen papal name is Pope Leo XIV. The new Pope was elected on Thursday afternoon after the cardinals cast nearly four secret ballots at the Vatican.
Following Pope Francis' demise on Monday (April 21, 133 cardinals participated in the secret papal conclave in Rome. The Conclave officially began on Wednesday (May 7), and the new leader was elected after several rounds of voting. On the second day of the Conclave, white smoke came out of the Sistine Chapel's chimney, indicating the selection of the Catholic Church's new leader.
An hour later, Cardinal Robert Prevost made his first public appearance as the new Pope by walking to the St. Peter's Basilica's balcony. He addressed the crowd gathered in the front of the chapel as Pope Leo XIV. His first words were - "peace be with you". He paid his tribute to Pope Francis by mentioning that - "blessed Rome, gave his blessing to the entire world that morning of Easter".
"Peace be with you all. Dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts to reach your families to all people everywhere to all the earth: peace be with you," Pope Leo XIV said.
Here is everything about the new Pope, who made history as the first American Pontiff with the chosen papal name Pope Leo XIV.
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents of Franco-Italian and Spanish descent, Prevost served as an altar boy and was ordained as a priest in 1982. He has both American and Peruvian nationality. Although he moved to Peru in 1985, he often visited his hometown and served as a pastor in the US. He served his community for 10 years as a local parish pastor in northwestern Peru. He also spent his time as a teacher at a seminary in Trujillo.
He became an archbishop in January 2023 and served as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Within a few months, Pope Francis appointed him a Cardinal in the Consistory and assigned him the Diaconate of Saint Monica. He serves as the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Prevost, 69, is a member of the Augustinian religious order and led the order as its prior general for a decade.
