Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States was elected the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, becoming the first North American to assume the role in the Church's two-millennia history. He will take the papal name Leo XIV.
The announcement followed a fourth round of balloting by the College of Cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel. At 12:07 p.m. ET, plumes of white smoke rose from the chapel's chimney, signaling a successful election. The identity of the new pope was revealed shortly after by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, as thousands gathered in Vatican City's central square.
Prevost, 69, succeeds Pope Francis, who died on April 22 at the age of 88. A Chicago native, Pope Leo XIV spent much of his clerical life abroad, including nearly three decades in Peru, where he first served as a missionary and later as archbishop. He became a Peruvian citizen in 2015.
The first American Pope, Pope Leo XIV, is Robert Prevost from Chicago, and he gets emotional on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.
He is 69 years old and is viewed as a centrist, but is progressive on some key social issues.
Like Pope Francis who championed… pic.twitter.com/SqXqIk0Vdo — Art Candee (@ArtCandee) May 8, 2025
"He was not one of the obvious candidates, but he knows everybody, he spent 30 years as a missionary, he has languages," a Vatican insider told reporters. "His time in Peru means he is one of the least 'American' of the American cardinals. But he understands America and he can speak to the country, which is important in the Trump era."
Prevost was appointed by Pope Francis in 2023 to lead the Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops, a critical department that oversees the nomination of senior Catholic clergy worldwide. He also served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, reinforcing ties with a region that remains a global hub for Catholicism.
He played a supporting role in one of Francis' most notable reforms by participating in the inclusion of three women into the bishop vetting process - a step toward gender inclusion in Church governance.
Despite concerns among some cardinals about his relatively young age and the possibility of a long papacy, those hesitations did not prevail during the conclave vote.
President Donald Trump, when asked about the election, remarked to reporters, "I saw the smoke, but I haven't seen the pope."
