Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from the United States has been chosen as the 267th pope and is expected to appear shortly on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as the new spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
At 69 years old and hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Prevost makes history as the first American pope and will take the papal name Leo XIV.
He secured the required two-thirds vote during what was likely the fourth round of voting, after two unsuccessful ballots on Thursday morning and one on Wednesday.
White smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel signaled his election, prompting church bells to ring and thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square to erupt in cheers, chanting, “Long live the pope!”
Cardinal Dominique Mamberti officially introduced Prevost as the new pontiff from the basilica’s balcony on Thursday evening, about an hour after the white smoke appeared.
