The current Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost (69) from the United States of America was elected as the new pope today.
His papal name is Leo XIV. The last pope with that name was Leo XIII, who was elected in 1878 and headed the Church until his death in 1903.
Leo XIV is the first pope from the United States of America, and will be the 267th head of the Roman Catholic Church.
"Peace be with you," he said to those gathered in St. Peter's Square.
"This is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who laid down his life for God," he said, explaining the choice of his greeting. "And I would like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts and our families as well."
Leo XIV paid tribute to the recently deceased Pope Francis, urging those present to remember the legacy of his predecessor, CNN reports.
"May the faint voice of Pope Francis blessing Rome remain in our ears. The Pope who blessed Rome, on that Easter morning, gave his blessing to the entire world. Let me continue that blessing. God loves us. God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail," he said in Italian.
The Pope thanked the cardinals for electing him.
After Italian, he addressed the crowd in Spanish - one of several European languages he speaks - to address his "beloved diocese" in Peru.
Leo XIV has significant missionary experience in Peru, where he became a naturalized citizen in 2015.
He called on the Roman Catholic Church to be a "synodal" church — "one that moves forward and that always seeks peace and closeness with those who suffer."
The name of the new pope was announced by Cardinal Protodeacon Dominic Mamberti with the traditional proclamation "Habemus Papam" (We have a Pope).
Leo XIV was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost.
Before his election as pope, the media called him a cardinal with moderate views.
A leader with extensive international experience, he spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and until recently headed the powerful Vatican dicastery for bishop appointments. He is expected to continue the reforms begun by Pope Francis, CNN reports.
He worked in Trujillo, Peru, for ten years and was then appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023.
Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2023, having previously served as head of the Augustinian order. The late pope also appointed him to the powerful Dicastery for Bishops, the body that oversees the selection of new bishops around the world. He was also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America under Francis.
Prevost holds degrees from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, the Catholic Theological Seminary in Chicago, and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
In 1985, Robert Prevost joined the Augustinian mission in Peru, becoming part of a religious community inspired by Saint Augustine, which strives for a balance between "love and learning." Augustinian friars lead a semi-monastic lifestyle and are engaged in various activities, such as education or prison work.
At age 30, Prevost began working in Peru, where he served until 1999, with a brief return to Chicago in 1987 to serve as pastor in charge of vocations and director of missions for his Augustinian province.
During his early years in Peru, Prevost held multiple roles—teaching at the episcopal seminary, serving as a judge in the ecclesiastical court, and leading a parish on the outskirts of the city of Trujillo.
He was elected in 1999 as the superior of the Augustinian province based in Chicago. Then in 2001 he was elected as the prior general of the Augustinian order worldwide, a position he held until 2013. During this period he was based in Rome, but spent most of his time traveling, visiting almost 50 countries where the Augustinian order is present.
Pope Francis sent him back to the mission field in 2014, appointing him Bishop of Chiclayo, in northern Peru, where he served until 2023, when the pope called him back to Rome for permanent service in the Roman Curia.
In Rome, Prevost enjoys a reputation as a hard-working and dedicated man, working as diligently on identifying new bishops as he does on resolving difficult cases, such as that of Bishop Joseph Strickland, who headed the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, until he was removed in 2023.
The prelate brings to the Vatican a unique combination of pastoral experience from the church's periphery and expertise in managing the complexities of central church administration - a rare combination among those seeking a pope who shares Pope Francis' priorities but with a greater emphasis on governance.
US President Donald Trump said it was a great honor for the country that the Vatican had chosen the first American pope.
"I look forward to meeting with Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very significant moment," Trump wrote on the TruthSocial platform.
White smoke appeared shortly after 18 p.m. above the roof of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, and the bells of St. Peter's Basilica rang out - confirming that the cardinals had elected a new pope.
Thousands of believers gathered in St. Peter's Square in Rome.
Earlier today, during two morning votes, black smoke appeared from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the cardinals did not elect a new pope in that vote.
More than two weeks after the death of Pope Francis, 133 cardinals in the Sistine Chapel began a conclave yesterday to elect a new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
With cardinals from 70 countries across five continents, this conclave is the largest ever organized.
Pope Francis died on April 21, after 12 years as leader of a Church of 1,4 billion members.
During the conclave, the cardinals were separated from the world and sworn to secrecy.
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