Robert Prevost elected as the first American pope in history, will be known as Leo XIV

The 133 cardinal electors – the largest conclave in the history of the faith – began voting Wednesday morning in Rome and took two days to select Prevost in the fourth round of voting.

The new pope was formerly the prior general, or leader, of the Order of St. Augustine, formed in the 13th century as a community of “mendicant” friars dedicated to poverty, service and evangelization.

The order’s requirements and ethos are traced to the fifth century St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the theological and devotional giants of early Christianity.

The order works in about 50 countries, according to its website, promoting a contemplative spirituality, communal living and service to others.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, stands for a portrait at the end of the consistory where Pope Francis elevated 21 new cardinals in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca, File)

Pope Francis clearly had his eye on Prevost

In many ways, Francis saw Prevost as his heir apparent. But there had long been a taboo against electing a pontiff from a country whose geopolitical power loomed so large in the secular sphere. Prevost, a Chicago native, was seemingly eligible because he’s also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.

His selection is also enormously significant because of its potential impact on the future of the U.S. Catholic Church, which has been badly divided between conservatives and progressives. With Prevost’s help at the help of the bishop vetting office, Francis embarked on a 12-year project to rein in the traditionalists in the United States, which is terrifically important to the global church financially.

Pope Leo XIV’s first appointments have been set

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni says:

Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass on Friday morning at 11 a.m. with cardinals in the Sistine Chapel.
He plans to deliver his first Sunday noon blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica
And he plans to hold an audience with the media on Monday in the Vatican auditorium

Cathedral bells ring out in Lima, Peru

Prevost’s election as pope is swelling the pride of Peruvians.

“For us Peruvians, it is a source of pride that this is a pope who represents our country,” said elementary school teacher Isabel Panez, who happened to be near the cathedral in Peru’s capital when the news was announced. “We would like him to visit us here in Peru.”

Speaking from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time as pope, Leo XIV addressed in Spanish the people of Chiclayo, which sits just 9 miles (14 km) away from Peru’s northern Pacific coast and is among the country’s most populous cities.

“Greetings… to all of you, and in particular, to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith,” he said.

Trump, Rubio congratulate new pope

The U.S. president posted his reaction on his Truth Social social media platform.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American 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!”

Trump also spoke to reporters outside the West Wing, saying that for the new pope to be American, “What greater honor can there be?”

“We’re a little bit surprised and we’re happy,” Trump added.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Catholic, issued a statement expressing his “heartfelt congratulations” to the new pope during “a moment of profound significance” for the church.

“The papacy carries a sacred and solemn responsibility,” Rubio’s message said. “May the Holy Spirit impart wisdom, strength, and grace as he shepherds the Church. The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff.”

This is a breaking news update. More details to come.

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Earlier updates:

White smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signalling that a pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church.

White smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

That means the winner secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis. The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers. The name will be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words “Habemus papam!” Latin for “We have a pope!” from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. The cardinal then reads the winner’s birth name in Latin, and reveals the name he has chosen to be called.

The new pope is then expected to make his first public appearance and impart a blessing from the same loggia.

And down below, amid the cheers in the vast mix of humanity in St. Peter’s square, priests are making the sign of the cross and nuns are weeping at the white smoke wafting into the sky.

The new pope, whoever he is, should now be donning his papal vestments in the so-called “Room of Tears.” It is thus named due to the emotional weight of the moment and the responsibility ahead.

People in the crowd continue to scream “Viva il papa!” as they remain suspended in time in huge anticipation.

Swis guards march as white smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel where 133 cardinals are gathering on the second day of the conclave to elect a successor to late Pope Francis, at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025 (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

– with files from Curtis Yee, Katarina Kratovac, and Michael Warren

by The Associated Press