Cardinal Robert Prevost elected as Pope Leo XIV, first US pontiff

From the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the newly elected Pope offered to continue Francis' legacy. American Cardinal Robert Prevost was born in Chicago, lived in Peru, is 69 years old, and was elected on the fourth ballot. He was one of the leading candidates to succeed Francis at the Vatican.

On the second day of the Conclave, the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel spewed white smoke after noon Thursday, indicating that the 133 cardinal electors had reached an agreement on a successor to Francis

The Vatican announced that American Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the new Pope of the Catholic Church and has taken the name Leo XIV. The news sparked an explosion of joy among the faithful present in St. Peter's Square, who were waiting to meet the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church.

Pope Leo XIV, 69, stepped onto the balcony and delivered his first speech to the more than 40,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"Dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the risen Christ. I would like to offer a greeting of peace to your families, to all of you, wherever you may be. Peace be with you," he said in Italian. Prevost paid tribute to Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88, expressing his desire to impart his blessing to the people, just as his predecessor did during his final appearance in St. Peter's Square.

"Humanity needs Christ as a bridge to be reached by God and his love. Help us, and help each other, to build bridges," he proclaimed.

The new Pope switched from Italian to Spanish to thank his former diocese in Peru, "where a loyal people have shared their faith and given so much." His speech was met with frequent and warm applause, especially when he mentioned peace and the late Pope Francis.

Leo XIV also insisted on the need for unity and at the end of his speech invited everyone to join in prayer.

Strong ties with Peru and support for migrants

Leo XIV is the first pontiff originally from North America and also the first with either U.S. or Peruvian citizenship. Born in 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost has also held Peruvian nationality since 2015, having spent much of his religious life in the Andean country, where he served as Bishop of Chiclayo until 2023.

During his years in Peru, he served as a parish priest, seminary professor, prefect of studies, ecclesiastical judge, and member of the advisory council of the Diocese of Trujillo, in addition to directing the Augustinian seminary there for a decade. He was a member of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference (CEP) from 2018 to 2023, serving as second vice president, and served as apostolic administrator of Callao from 2020 to 2021.

In 2014, he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, a position he held until his final transfer to the Vatican.

Pope Francis, to whom he was very close, brought him to Rome to lead the Dicastery for Bishops, one of the Curia's most influential offices, responsible for proposing episcopal appointments worldwide, starting in 2023. That same year, he named him a cardinal and assigned him the Roman church of Santa Monica.

In February 2025, he was promoted to Cardinal-Bishop of Albano, one of Rome's suburbicarian sees, reserved for the highest-ranking members of the College of Cardinals. He was also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

The Rev. Mark Francis, a friend of Prevost's since the 1970s, told Reuters that the cardinal was a staunch defender of his predecessor's papacy and, in particular, the late pontiff's commitment to social justice.

"He was always kind and warm, and he remained a voice of common sense and practical concern for the Church's work on behalf of the poor," said Francis, who attended seminary with Prevost and later met him when they both lived in Rome in the 2000s.

"He had a wry sense of humor, but he didn't seek out the spotlight," added Francis, who presides over the Viatorian religious order's American province.

US President Donald Trump congratulated the new Pope on his Truth Social platform.

"It's a great honor to know that he is the first American pope. What a thrill and what a great honor for our country! I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very significant moment!"

For her part, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte described the election of the first pope with Peruvian nationality as "a historic moment for Peru and the world." Boluarte affirmed that the new Pope was "a Peruvian citizen by choice and at heart." "He chose to be one of us, to live among us, and to carry the faith and culture of this nation in his heart," he said.

The white smoke of the Sistine Chapel

As white smoke rose and bells rang loudly, the faithful in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican erupted in applause and cheers.

"We thought it would be gray smoke, but when we saw the white smoke, we heard a loud scream, people started hugging each other, some even cried, and they started running to get closer to the balcony where the new Pope is expected to be presented," describes Alicia Hernández, BBC Mundo's special correspondent in Rome, from the square.

Many of those gathered embraced each other and waved flags from different countries around the world. A marching band made its way through the crowd, playing a melody, while Swiss Guards marched alongside in their blue and yellow striped uniforms.

A quick conclave

A total of 133 cardinals, all under the age of 80, gathered in Vatican City, an independent state in the heart of Rome, to elect the 267th Pope.

To elect the new pontiff, the different groups of cardinals, each with their own particular interests, had to form alliances and agreements throughout a process called a conclave.

For the first time, cardinals from "peripheral" places, as Francis called them, took part in the conclave, with representatives from places like Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, China, and Rwanda voting.

For the Pope to be elected, two-thirds of the electors had to agree on the same name. After the decision, white smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel to announce the new Pope, and he is asked if he accepts the position and what name he wishes to adopt.

This time, the cardinals made the decision in a single day and after only four rounds of voting, which is considered relatively quick compared to previous occasions.

"It is a clear sign of the unity of the Church," said Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi in the Vatican press room.