Cardinal Robert Prevost - the first American pope

Pope Leo, appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after white smoke had billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel signifying the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.

"Peace be with you all," the new pope told the cheering crowd, speaking in fluent Italian. He also spoke in Spanish during his brief address but did not say anything in English.

Aged 69 and originally from Chicago, Prevost has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and became a cardinal only in 2023. He has given few media interviews and rarely speaks in public.
President Donald Trump swiftly congratulated Prevost on becoming the first US pope. "What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"

Prevost becomes the 267th Catholic pope after the death last month of Pope Francis, who was the first Latin American pope and had led the Church for 12 years and widely sought to open the staid institution up to the modern world.

Leo thanked Francis in his speech and repeated his predecessor's call for a Church that is engaged with the modern world and "is always looking for peace, charity and being close to people, especially those who are suffering".

Ahead of the conclave, some cardinals called for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, while others said they wanted to turn back the clock and embrace old traditions. Unlike Francis, who spurned much of the trappings of the papacy, Prevost wore a traditional red papal garment over his white cassock.

The last pope to take the name Leo led the Church from 1878-1903 and was known for his devoted focus to social justice issues, and is often credited with laying the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching.