Cardinal Robert becomes the first American pope, called as Leo XIV

• Cardinal Robert Prevost, a mission from Chicago, has been elected as the first U.S. pope by the Catholic Church.
• Prevost becomes the 267th pope of the Catholic Church after the death of Pope Francis.
• The crowd erupted in applause and cheers upon the announcement of Prevost’s name.

In a surprise decision on Thursday, the Catholic Church elected Cardinal Robert Prevost, a little-known mission from Chicago as its new leader, making him the first U.S. pope. He chose the papal name Leo XIV.

Pope Leo stepped onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that the 133 cardinal electors had selected a new leader for the Catholic Church’s 1.4 billion members.

He greeted the cheering crowd in fluent Italian, saying, “Peace be with you all.” During his brief address, he also spoke in Spanish but chose not to speak in English.

Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, originally from Chicago, has spent most of his career serving as a mission in Peru and holds dual Peruvian nationality. He joined the College of Cardinals in 2023. He has given a few media interviews and seldom speaks publicly.

President Donald Trump swiftly congratulated Prevost on becoming the first U.S. pope. “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!”

Prevost becomes the 267th pope of the Catholic Church following the death of Pope Francis last month. Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, led the Church for 12 years. He actively worked to modernize the centuries-old institution, pushing through a range of reforms and encouraging open debate on controversial topics such as women’s ordination and greater inclusion of LGBT Catholics.

In his speech, Leo thanked Francis and echoed his predecessor’s vision for a Church that stays engaged with the modern world—one that continually seeks peace, compassion, and closeness to people, especially those who are suffering. When officials announced Leo’s name to the packed crowd in St. Peter’s Square, a brief moment of silence followed. Then, the crowd erupted into applause and cheers, as people began to welcome the unexpected new pope.

“I’m just thrilled. I hope this can bring to America a more loving community. I think there’s a lot of hate in America. I think there’s a lot of racism. I have experienced it,” said Lailah Brown, 28, from Seattle, Washington, an African American.

“I hope America does not embarrass the pope,” he said.

Before the conclave, some cardinals pushed for continuing Francis’ vision of openness and reform, while others called for a return to traditional values. Unlike Francis, who rejected many of the papal trappings from the moment of his 2013 election, Prevost chose to wear a traditional red papal garment over his white cassock.