Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the new pope, choosing the name Leo XIV, and marking a historic first as the Catholic Church’s first American pontiff. The 69-year-old cardinal was selected on Thursday after the papal conclave concluded its vote at the Vatican.
White smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney signaled the election, and approximately 70 minutes later, Leo XIV appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. His first public words were: “Peace be with all you.”
The official announcement was made by French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, who declared in Latin: “Habemus Papam” (We have a pope). With this election, Pope Leo XIV becomes the 267th pope, succeeding Pope Francis, who passed away last month after leading the Church for 12 years as its first Latin American pope.
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Robert Francis Prevost is of French and Italian descent. He is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine and spent decades as a missionary in Peru. He served as the Prior General of the Augustinians from 2001 to 2013 and as the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, from 2015 to 2023. In 2023, he was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He was made a cardinal in 2023 and elevated to cardinal-bishop in 2025.
Former President Donald Trump responded to the news with a congratulatory message on Truth Social: “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American 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!”
