American Cardinal Robert Prevost elected Pope Leo XIV

Vatican City — Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Leo XIV and becoming the first US pontiff.

Pope Leo, appeared on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica about 70 minutes after white smoke billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel signifying the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4-billion-member Church.

“Peace be with you all,” the new pope told the cheering crowd.

The choice of Prevost was announced by French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti with the Latin words “Habemus papam” (We have a pope) to tens of thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square to hear the news.

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 honour for our country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

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

Francis enacted a variety of reforms and allowed debate on divisive issues such as women’s ordination and better inclusion of LGBTQ+ Catholics.

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”.

Before 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.

Prevost has attracted interest from his peers because of his quiet style and support for Francis, especially his commitment to social justice issues.

Prevost served as a bishop in Chiclayo, in northwestern Peru, from 2015 to 2023.

Francis brought him to Rome that year to head the Vatican office in charge of choosing which priests should serve as bishops across the globe, meaning he has had a hand in selecting many of the world’s bishops.

Prevost said during a 2023 Vatican press conference: “Our work is to enlarge the tent and to let everyone know they are welcome inside the Church.”

The following is the full first speech of Pope Leo XIV:

“Peace be with all of you! Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God’s flock.

I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your heart, to reach your families, to all people, wherever they are, to all peoples, to the whole earth. Peace be with you!

This is the peace of the risen Christ, an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally. We still have in our ears that weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis who blessed Rome!

The pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the entire world, that Easter morning. Allow me to follow up on that same blessing: God cares for us, God loves all of us, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God's hands. Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us move forward.

We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as the bridge to reach God and His love. Help us too, then help each other to build bridges — with dialogue, with encounter, uniting all of us to be one people always in peace. Thank you, Pope Francis!

I also want to thank all the fellow cardinals who chose me to be the Successor of Peter and to walk with you, as a united Church always seeking peace, justice — always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.

I am a son of Saint Augustine, (an) Augustinian, who said: “With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop.”

In this sense, we can all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us. To the Church of Rome, a special greeting!

We must seek together how to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges (and) dialogue, always open to receive (people), like this square, with open arms — everyone, all those who need our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.

(Switching into Spanish) And if you allow me also, a word, a greeting to all those, and particularly to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, have shared their faith, and have given so much, so much to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ.

(Switching back to Italian) To all of you, brothers and sisters of Rome, of Italy, of the whole world, we want to be a synodal church, a church that walks, a church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer.

Today is the day of the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii. Our Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, to stay close, to help us with her intercession and her love. So I would like to pray together with you. Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole Church, for peace in the world, and let us ask for this special grace from Mary, our Mother.” 

Update: May 8 2025
This story has been updated with new information and comment.

Reuters