A significant moment in history has occurred with the appointment of the First American Pope, who will now lead the Catholic Church as Leo XIV, a name chosen by outsider Robert Prevost following less than 24 hours of confidential voting within the Sistine Chapel.
Popularly known as “Father Bob,” the new Pope made his first appearance on the balcony of the Vatican, where he was met with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. In his inaugural address, he warmly greeted the onlookers with the words “peace be with you.”
The Chicago-born Pope, 69, was announced after Cardinal Mamberti declared: “Habemus papam!” – Latin for “We have a pope!”.
Leo XIV’s journey began as an altar boy and later led him to pursue mathematics before eventually joining the church. Much of his life was dedicated to missionary work in various regions of South America.
The boy from the US has now climbed the highest summit in the Catholic Church – being seen as God’s messenger on Earth.
His election saw him come from being a total outsider – with odds of 66/1 before he was unveiled to crowds of the faithful in Rome.
He is seen as more traditional than Francis – but not the conservative hardliner some in the church were hoping for after his predecessor’s efforts to make the faith more progressive.
The new pontiff urged people to “build bridges through dialogue, through encounter, to come together as one people, always in peace”, before paying homage to Pope Francis.
The new Pope said: “Together we must try to find out how to be a church that builds bridges, establishes dialogue and is open to receives everybody,” he says.
Shortly afterwards, the pontiff – who is fluent in six languages, was heard speaking in Spanish, saying: “I would particularly like to say hello to my compatriots from Peru.
“It was a great pleasure for me to work in Peru.”
US President Trump was quick to congratulate the Pope Leo XIV and said it’s “a great honour” for the US.
He posted on Truth Social: “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV.
“It will be a very meaningful moment!”
But the new Pope could be on a collision course with Trump after critical retweets about the President and his administration emerged moments after his election.
Sir Keir Starmer has branded the election of the first American Pope as a “momentous moment” and said that he looks “forward to meeting the Holy Father and continuing to work closely with the Catholic Church”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the new Pope.
He said: “Ukraine deeply values the Holy See’s consistent position in upholding international law, condemning the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians.
“At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine’s efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace.
“I wish His Holiness Leo XIV wisdom, inspiration, and strength—both spiritual and physical—in carrying out his noble mission. Ad multos annos!”
His deeply religious parents often hosted priests and bishops for lunch at their home when he was a boy, and a life in the church was always his ambition.
Ordained as a priest four years ago, he joined a mission in Peru where he spent many years heading up a seminary.
Returning to the US in 1999, he then met controversy when he allowed alleged child abuser Father James Ray to reside at a friary in Chicago.
While French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped for a pontificate of “peace and hope”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped the American pontiff would engage in “constructive dialogue” with the Kremlin.
He said: “I am confident that the constructive dialogue and cooperation established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to develop on the basis of the Christian values that unite us.”
The new Pope, who is active on social media, has repeatedly voiced his concerns over Donald Trump’s immigration policies and shared his progressive views.
His last post on X, dated April 14, refers to the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador.
It reads: “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”
Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955 to immigrant parents of French, Italian and Spanish descent.
After graduating from Villanova University in Pennsylvania with a degree in maths, the future pontiff joined the Order of St Augustine, taking his vows in 1978.
He rose through the ranks of the Church to become appointed apostolic administrator in Peru by Pope Francis in 2014.
The pair were said to be close and Prevost was considered by Vatican insiders to be a potential kingmaker for the current election.
But few considered the new Leo XIV the likely winner of the secret vote.
The new Pope’s speech in full
Here is Leo XIV’s speech from the Vatican balcony in full:
Peace be with all of you
Dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of Christ resurrected, the good pastor who gave life for the Lord and I would also like this greeting of peace to come into your hearts and join everyone, whoever they are, all peoples on the whole earth, peace be with you.
This is the peace of Christ resurrected, it’s a peace that’s disarming, humble and will also persevere and it comes from God, God who loves all of us unconditionally.
And let us keep hearing even the weak voices and Pope Francis was always courageous and blessed Rome.
The pope that blessed Rome, he is blessing the whole world on that Easter morning. So let us follow up that blessing.
God loves us, God loves all of you, sin will not prevail, we are all in the hands of God.
And at the same time without fear, let us be reunited hand in hand with God and amongst ourselves let’s move forward because we are the disciples of Christ, Christ preceded us, the world needs your light, humanity needs him as a bridge in order to be able to get to God and reach God’s love.
You must also help us and help one another. And we all must be a single peoples.
I would also like to thank all my brother cardinals who have chosen me to be the successor to Peter and to walk together with you as a united church always trying to find peace, justice and always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ without fear and also to be missionaries.
I am a son of St Augustin, I am Christian with you and to that extent we can all walk together towards that land that God has prepared us for.
To the church of Rome, I would like to give you a speciial greeting. Together we must try to find out how to be a church that builds bridges, establishes dialogue, that’s always open to receive on this piazza with open arms to anyone that needs our charity, our presents, dialogue and love.
And I would just like also t osay something in Spanish. I particularly like to say hello to my compatriots in Peru
To all of you, brothers and sisters, of Rome, the whole world, we need to be a church that walks a path of peace, that always looks for charity, that is always looking to be close especially to those that are suffering
Today, the day in which we pray to the Madonna of Pompeii, our mother Mary always wants to stay close to us and help us with her love and her intercession.
Let us pray together, this new mission, for the whole church, and for peace throughout the world.
And let’s ask for this special grace for Mary, our mother. Hail Mary
Pope Francis brought Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.
And in January he elevated him into the senior ranks of cardinals.
The last pope to take the name Leo was Leo XIII, an Italian who led the church from 1878 to 1903.
White smoke erupted from the Vatican at around 5pm as a signal that the new pontiff had been chosen.
The Pope greeted the world for the first time on the balcony in the iconic St Peter’s Basilica overlooking St Peter’s Square.
The newly elected pontiff appeared in papal robes – complete with a white silk sash and skullcap and red leather shoes.
The announcement of the new pope was made as clouds of white smoke or fumata bianca emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, as a bell rang.
Crowds of faithful Catholics erupted with joy and were seen cheering as they patiently waited to find out who the new Pope would be.
It comes after black smoke billowed from the chimney this morning, meaning no new pontiff had been selected.
The new pontiff was chosen in an ancient ritual that has remained unchanged for 1,000 years.
The historic event saw 133 cardinals take part in multiple rounds of voting beginning on Wednesday, until a clear winner was decided.
The swift resolution after just one day keeps with the trend of other recent conclaves, with both those in 2005 and 2013 leading to new popes within a few ballots.
For a pope to be elected they must get two-thirds of the vote with each cardinal’s vote having equal value.
There was much speculation as to who would be the next pope before the conclave began.
The conclave was initiated after the death of Pope Francis at 88 on the morning of Easter Monday, following a battle with pneumonia.
Pope Francis was anointed in 2013 when he took over from Pope Benedict XVI who stepped back from the role due to ill health in an incredibly rare move.
