VATICAN CITY, ROME — The College of Cardinals has elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new Pope, who will take the Papal name Pope Leo XIV.
The announcement followed the emergence of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel earlier today, signaling a successful election.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955, Cardinal Prevost has devoted over four decades to service within the Catholic Church.
He was ordained to the priesthood on June 19, 1982, and subsequently elevated to the episcopate on December 12, 2014.
In September 2023, the late Pope Francis appointed him as a Cardinal.
Prior to his election as Pope, Cardinal Prevost served most recently as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
The Catholic world now welcomes Pope Leo XIV, looking towards his leadership and guidance in the years to come.
Key facts about Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost:
Vatican’s news service has now posted a lengthy biography of the new pope.
- 69-year-old American
- First Augustinian Pope
- Born in Chicago, Illinois to parents of French, Italian and Spanish decent
- Has two brothers, Luis Martin and John Joseph
- Studied in the US and entered the notiviate in Saint Louis, US, before receiving theological education in Chicago
- Was sent to Rome at the age of 27 to study canon law, where he was ordained priest
- His long-standing connection with Peru dates back to 1985, when he served in an Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, Peru
- He later joined a separate mission in Trujillo, Peru
- He was made bishop of Chiclayo, Peru in 2015
- Promoted to archbishop in 2023 and created cardinal in 2024
