In a landmark decision for the Roman Catholic Church, the College of Cardinals today elected His Eminence Francis Robert Prevost as the 267th Bishop of Rome. Taking the papal name Pope Leo XIV, the 69‑year‑old Chicago native becomes the first American ever chosen to lead the Church in its two‑millennium history.
White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney at 6:07 p.m. CEST, confirming the conclave’s choice after four ballots over two days. Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti then stepped onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to proclaim “Habemus Papam!” to an estimated 50,000 faithful gathered in the square below.
Born September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Francis Robert Prevost was ordained to the priesthood in 1980 as a member of the Order of Saint Augustine. He earned doctorates in canon law and theology before serving two decades as a missionary and later Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. In 2017, he was called to Rome to lead the Dicastery for Bishops, where his collaborative reform efforts earned wide respect among bishops worldwide.
In his first Angelus address, delivered in Italian, English, and Spanish, Pope Leo XIV spoke of “a Church of encounter, mercy, and hope,” pledging to continue his predecessor’s emphasis on social justice, care for the marginalized, and interfaith dialogue. He called upon Catholics to “embrace one another as brothers and sisters, working together to bring peace to every corner of our suffering world.”
World leaders and religious representatives immediately extended congratulations. U.S. President Joe Biden hailed the election as “a moment of pride for American Catholics,” while Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I invited the new pontiff to a summit on Christian unity later this year.
Pope Leo XIV will celebrate his inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square on May 12, and has signaled plans for an early pastoral visit to Turkey to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
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