A new pope has been elected.
American Robert Francis Prevost has been named Pope Leo XIV. He is the second pope from the Americas 鈥� after Pope Francis 鈥� but he is the first U.S. pope. The 69-year-old was born Sept. 14, 1955 in Chicago, Ill, but spent many years as a missionary in Peru.
White smoke was seen shortly after 6 p.m. local time in the Vatican on Thursday (May 8), signalling that the 133 cardinal electors gathered in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel have elected a new pope, according to Vatican News on X.
As soon as the smoke appeared, cheers erupted from outside of the Vatican.
The conclave to elect the 267th pope only began Wednesday.
The white smoke, which comes from a temporary stove in the Sistine Chapel, signals that a pope has been elected. The white smoke goes on for several minutes.
Prevost greeted the world as Pope Leo XIV for the first time shortly after 7 p.m. to grant his Urbi et Orbi blessing.
Pope Leo XIV appears on the balcony of St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica to greet the faithful for the first time as the 267th Pope.
鈥� Vatican News (@VaticanNews)
He attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania and in 1977 earned a degree in mathematics and philosophy. That same year he entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine in the Province of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Chicago.
Prevost received his theological education at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
At 27 years old he was sent to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He was ordained as a priest on June 19, 1982 at the Augustinian College of Saint Monica.
In 1985, he was sent to the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, Piura, Peru. Then in 1988, he joined the mission in Trujillo, Peru, as director of the joint formation project for Augustinian candidates from the vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos, and Apur铆mac. He spent 11 years in Peru.
Prevost was elected provincial prior of the Augustinian Province of 鈥淢other of Good Counsel鈥� in Chicago in 1999.
In November 2014, Pope Francies appointed him has apostolic administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo. The following year he was appointed the bishop of Chiclayo, a role he held until 2023.
He became a cardinal in 2024.
