After two days of conclave voting inside the Sistine Chapel, American Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church, succeeding Pope Francis.
He becomes the 267th Pope and will officially be known as Pope Leo XIV, assuming spiritual leadership over more than 1.3 billion Catholics around the world.
The announcement was made on Thursday when white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel—signifying that a new pope had been chosen.
His election was formally revealed from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, who declared the traditional words: “Habemus Papam!”—Latin for “We have a pope!”
Pope Leo XIV becomes the first American-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church and is expected to continue addressing major global issues such as interfaith dialogue, social justice, and church reform.
