Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an American, has been named the new pope of the Catholic Church, USA TODAY reports.
The successor to Pope Francis, who will go by the name Leo XIV, goes down in history as the first pope from the United States. Francis, a native of Argentina, was the first pope from the New World when he was elected.
The new pontiff will go by the name Leo XIV. Pope Leo greeted the thousands Thursday, May 8, in St. Peter’s Square from the red velvet-draped central balcony overlooking the area to rounds of applause.
So who is Pope Leo XIV? Here’s what to know.
Who is the new pope? Meet Pope Leo XIV
Leo, 69, was born in Chicago. He attended Villanova University and Catholic Theological Union in Chicago before earning a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He spent much of his career in South America as a missionary, CNN reports, and has been a Peruvian citizen since 2015. Per CNN, Leo is expected to continue the reforms of Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV is also fluent in several languages. He speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese, and can read Latin and German, according to the National Catholic Reporter.
He served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (formerly known as the Congregation for Bishops), USA TODAY reports, and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023. He also served as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023.
Cardinals voted multiple times before the pope was chosen
On the second day of the conclave to choose a successor to Pope Francis, the 133 cardinals spent the morning secluded away from the world in the Sistine Chapel, praying for guidance and conducting two secretive votes to choose the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.
The electors reconvened in the afternoon and reached a decision, signaled by white smoke. Their choice was revealed when Pope Leo stepped onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who is the new pope? Meet Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader of the Catholic Church.
Reporting by Chad Murphy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
