Cardinals elect Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope
The conclave chose Cardinal Robert Prevost to lead the Catholic Church following the death of Pope Francis, making him the first pontiff from the United States.
Roman Catholic cardinals elected a new pope on Thursday, choosing Cardinal Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV and became the first pope from the United States in the nearly 2,000-year history of the Church.
White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the early evening, signalling to the crowds packed into St Peter's Square that the conclave of cardinals had reached a decision. Soon afterward, the new pope appeared on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica to deliver his first blessing to a roaring crowd.
His election followed the death of Pope Francis, the Argentine pontiff who had led the Church for 12 years and reshaped it with his emphasis on humility, the poor and the environment. Leo XIV, long a missionary and bishop who had spent many years in Peru before rising to a senior Vatican post, was seen as a figure who could bridge different wings of the Church.
The choice of an American broke a long-standing unwritten assumption that the papacy would not go to a citizen of a global superpower. His background straddling North and South America, and his pastoral experience in the developing world, drew attention from Catholics across the globe.
In his first remarks, Leo XIV called for peace and unity. The new pope inherited a Church facing deep challenges, from declining attendance in parts of the world to the long shadow of abuse scandals, and his papacy was watched for signs of continuity with, or departure from, his predecessor's reforms.