Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago has been elected the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, making history as the first American to assume the papacy. The 69-year-old cleric will now be known as Pope Leo XIV, reports BSS.
His election was confirmed on Thursday following a secret conclave of cardinals held inside the Sistine Chapel. The process, which concluded in under two days, follows the pattern of recent papal elections.
Pope Leo XIV will preside over his first mass as pontiff on Friday at 11:00am local time (0900 GMT) in the Sistine Chapel.
Though private, the mass will be broadcast by the Vatican and is expected to include his first homily, offering early insight into the direction of his leadership.
The new pope made his first public appearance Thursday evening on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, greeted by tens of thousands of cheering faithful.
Despite being a relatively unknown figure outside Church circles, his message of peace and dialogue drew comparisons to his predecessor, Pope Francis.
"Help us, and each other, to build bridges through dialogue, through encounter, to come together as one people, always in peace," Pope Leo told the crowd. "We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, which holds dialogues, which is always open."
Born in Chicago, Leo XIV served over two decades in Peru as a missionary and was elevated to cardinal in 2023. Though not widely recognized globally, he had been considered a contender by some Vatican observers.
Over the coming days, Leo's approach to leadership will come into sharper focus. Following Friday's mass, he is scheduled to deliver his first Regina Coeli prayer on Sunday and hold a press briefing with journalists on Monday.
His election comes at a time of significant challenges for the Catholic Church, which is grappling with internal divisions and the ongoing fallout from clerical sexual abuse scandals. Known for championing the rights of the poor and marginalized, Leo has previously voiced criticism of anti-migrant rhetoric, including U.S. policies under former President Donald Trump.
Despite this, Trump welcomed the new pope's election, calling it a "great honour" for the United States.
As the first pontiff from the United States, Pope Leo XIV assumes spiritual leadership of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide at a moment of deep geopolitical uncertainty — and with it, the hopes of both Church faithful and world leaders for a unifying moral voice.
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