Pope Leo XIV: New pope is Cardinal Robert Prevost, first American pontiff

Cardinal Robert Prevost has been chosen by the conclave to lead the Roman Catholic Church and will take on the name Pope Leo XIV. 

He is the first pope from the USA, born in Chicago, Illinois.

The 69-year-old was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in September 2023. He is part of the Augustinian order. Having been the Bishop of Peru, he has strong connections in Latin America.

“Peace be with all of you,” the new pope told the crowd in St Peter's Square. “Brothers and sisters dearest, this is the first greeting of Christ resurrected. I would like to offer a greeting of peace to reach your families, all of you, wherever you are. May peace be with you.”

Paying tribute to his predecessor, he said he wished to emulate Pope Francis's final moments in office. “Humanity needs Christ as a bridge to be reached by God and his love. Help us, and help each other, build bridges.”

Switching to Spanish, Leo XIV thanked his former diocese in Peru: “Where a loyal people has shared its faith and has given a lot.” 

Before concluding, he invited the crowd to join him in prayer: “Let us pray together to the Virgin Mary for her blessing.” The square again erupted in cheers as he led the faithful in a brief prayer before ending with a Latin reading in honor of the saints and the Madonna.

The new pope is no stranger to Malta. In 2023, he visited the island and celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady in Mosta. At the time, he was the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.

White smoke emanated from the roof of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on Thursday at around 6pm, marking the end of the wait for the new pontiff.

Cardinal Prevost was chosen during the fourth conclave vote, after two unsuccessful ballots on Thursday morning and another Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, St Peter’s Square, yesterday hosted around 45,000 pilgrims from around the world as they waited for the smoke signal from the Sistine Chapel. The same can be expected today as Catholics wait to see who their next pope will be.

A pope is elected if the person obtains the support of two-thirds of the 133 cardinals eligible to vote. This means that the required threshold is 89 votes.

Elector-cardinals are under a strict media blackout and are shuttled between the Sistine Chapel where voting and meditation takes place, and the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel where they sleep and eat.

READ ALSO | What happens in the secret gathering that elects the pope

This was the most globally diverse conclave in the Catholic Church’s history, a result of Pope Francis’s decision to appoint more cardinals from Asia, Africa and the Americas. The geographic composition of the conclave means that no two continental blocks on their own can elect a pope if they vote according to geographic affinity.

The 133 cardinals come from 70 countries, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave in 2013.