Leo XIV becomes first American pope
History was made in Rome on Thursday, with Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old native of Chicago, elected as pope – the first American ever to fill the role.
Taking the name Leo XIV, Prevost emerged on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet tens of thousands gathered in the Vatican. “Peace be with you all,” he said, offering “the first greetings of the resurrected Christ” and urging that his message of peace “enter our hearts and our families.”
Prevost, a former missionary in Latin America, spent a decade serving in Trujillo, Peru before becoming bishop of Chiclayo. Elevated to cardinal in 2023 by the late Pope Francis, he was also appointed head of the powerful Congregation for Bishops, the Vatican body responsible for appointing most of the world’s bishops – a role that put him on many shortlists for the papacy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his congratulations to Pope Leo XIV following his election on Friday evening. In his message, Putin stressed the importance of continued cooperation between Russia and the Vatican. “I wish Your Holiness success in fulfilling the high mission entrusted to you, as well as good health and well-being,” the message reads.
Prevost succeeds Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88, just one day after presiding over Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Francis was the first Jesuit and first Latin American pope.
This week’s conclave saw 133 cardinal electors convene, with at least 89 votes needed to secure victory. Leo XIV was elected on the conclave’s second day, continuing a modern trend: Francis was elected after five rounds of voting, while Benedict XVI required four.
A senior cardinal confirmed the news from the loggia of St. Peter’s with the traditional “Habemus papam!” before Leo XIV stepped forward to meet the world.
