VATICAN CITY — In a historic moment for the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States has been elected pope, becoming the first American to hold the position in the Church’s 2,000-year history. Prevost, 69, chose the papal name Leo XIV.
Prevost’s election was confirmed Thursday evening as white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 6:07 p.m. local time, signaling to the world that a new pontiff had been chosen by the College of Cardinals.
Born in the United States, Prevost served for decades as a missionary in Peru, where he ministered to the faithful and built a reputation for pastoral care and administrative leadership. More recently, he led the Vatican’s influential Dicastery for Bishops, overseeing the appointment of bishops around the world.
His election marks a significant shift in the global reach of the Church’s leadership, signaling recognition of the growing influence of the Catholic population in the Americas. Pope Leo XIV now begins his papacy with the task of guiding more than 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide through a time of spiritual and institutional challenges.
The announcement was met with celebration across various parts of the globe, especially in Peru and the United States, where many Catholics see the new pope’s election as a bridge between cultures and continents.
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