An American-born cleric and seasoned Vatican official, Cardinal Robert Prevost, has been elected Pope, taking the name Leo XIV.
The announcement was made from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday following the traditional white smoke signaling the successful conclusion of the papal conclave.
Prevost, aged 69, becomes the first American-born pope in the church’s two-thousand-year history.
His emergence marks a significant moment for Catholics in the United States and around the world.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Pope Leo XIV is a member of the Order of St. Augustine and is widely respected for his quiet but firm leadership style, deep theological grounding, and global pastoral experience.
In 2023, he was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, overseeing the selection and supervision of bishops around the world.
Prevost succeeds Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88.
