In a moment that has stunned and inspired Catholics across the globe, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church — becoming the first American ever to ascend to the papacy. The 69-year-old Chicago-born cleric will now be known as Pope Leo XIV.
The election was made official on May 8, 2025, following the fourth round of voting by the conclave of 133 cardinal electors. White smoke rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signaled the historic decision to the world.
Habemus Papam! We have a Pope!
The Cardinals gathered in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel have elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Pope, who took the name Pope Leo XIV. pic.twitter.com/7COawsKvWu
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 8, 2025
Pope Leo XIV brings with him decades of experience both inside and outside the Vatican. A member of the Order of St. Augustine, he spent over ten years in Peru serving as a missionary and bishop before rising through the ranks of the Church hierarchy. In 2023, he was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops by Pope Francis, placing him at the heart of Vatican leadership prior to his election.
In his first address from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV spoke passionately about the need for peace, unity, and dialogue in a divided world. Greeting the crowd in multiple languages, he reflected a spirit of inclusiveness shaped by his international ministry and multicultural roots — with French, Italian, and Spanish heritage and strong ties to Latin America.
The new pope succeeds Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, leaving behind a legacy of outreach and reform. Pope Leo XIV is expected to carry forward that momentum while placing renewed emphasis on global evangelization, clergy accountability, and strengthening the Church’s role in defending moral and cultural values.
The election has been met with jubilation in the United States and around the world. President Donald Trump offered his congratulations, calling it a “Great Honor for our Country” and noting he looks forward to meeting with Pope Leo XIV in what he called a “very meaningful moment.”
Catholic leaders have praised the election as a sign of the Church’s growing universality, with an American now leading over a billion Catholics worldwide. Observers say Pope Leo XIV’s blend of humility, administrative skill, and pastoral outreach could usher in a new era of global leadership at a time of profound cultural and spiritual challenge.