On May 8, 2025, at 6:07 PM CEST, white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new pope. After four ballots in the conclave held from May 7 to May 8, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the 267th pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. He is the first American-born pope and previously served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. The announcement “Habemus Papam” was made from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where thousands gathered in celebration.
Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, is the first American-born pope in the history of the Catholic Church and the first pope from an English-speaking country since Adrian IV. He is also the sixth Augustinian pope and the first since Gregory VIII in the 12th century.
Prevost studied mathematics at Villanova University and theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He entered the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained a priest in 1982. He earned a doctorate in Canon Law in Rome and spent significant time as a missionary and church leader in Peru. He served as prior general of the Augustinian order from 2001 to 2013 and was Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, from 2015 to 2023.
Pope Francis created him cardinal in 2023 and appointed him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a key Vatican office responsible for overseeing the appointment of bishops worldwide. Following the death of Pope Francis in April 2025, Prevost was elected pope on May 8, 2025, after four rounds of voting during the conclave. He chose the name Leo XIV and became the second pope from the Americas after Francis.
As pope, Leo XIV has emphasized peace and unity in his first public address, invoking the peace of Christ and pledging to work for a Church faithful to the Gospel. His election marks a historic moment for the Catholic Church, reflecting a new geographic and cultural representation at its highest leadership.
Read all the latest news and updates, including events, from the Vatican here…
Read all the latest news and updates, including events, from the Vatican here…