Rome [Italy], May 9: The Catholic Church has a new pope: Chicago Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected on Thursday as the new head of the Catholic Church after just 24 hours of conclave in the Sistine Chapel.
As pontiff, the 69-year-old will take the name Leo XIV. Previously, Prevost served in the Vatican as a curial cardinal, heading the important dicastery - effectively the ministry - responsible for bishops worldwide.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a missionary and bishop in Peru and served as the prior general of the Augustinian Order. He is regarded as someone who can mediate well between the conservative and reform-oriented factions within the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo, who speaks fluent Italian and Spanish, addressed the massive crowd in front of the chapel in both languages in his first comments as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
For the first time in two millennia of church history, a pontiff comes from the United States. For the past 12 years, Argentine Pope Francis led the faithful worldwide.
Shortly after 6pm (1600 GMT), white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel - the signal that the 133 cardinals from around the world had reached a two-thirds majority. It took four rounds of voting.
Loud cheers erupted on St Peter's Square, where more than 15,000 people were waiting at the time. The bells of St Peter's Basilica rang out in celebration. Prevost had already been considered one of the favourites before the conclave. However, he was not at the very top of most published lists.
After his election, the new pope was dressed in white in the sacristy of the chapel. All the cardinals swore obedience to him. Following a joint prayer, he proceeded to the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica. There, the "Habemus Papam" or "We have a pope" was proclaimed - along with his name. Unlike his predecessor Francis, he appeared wearing a gold brocade stole, as earlier popes did.
Leo XIV is the 267th pontiff in 2,000 years of church history. From the balcony, he gave his first Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) blessing.
By then, St Peter's Square was filled with more than 100,000 people. Many residents and tourists rushed to the central square of the small church state in the heart of Rome after hearing the news of the white smoke.
The successor to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, was elected relatively quickly. The cardinals had only entered the chapel on Wednesday at around 5:45pm, where they deliberated strictly isolated from the outside world. They were not allowed any contact with the outside, even during breaks and at night.
Since the 1960s, no conclave has lasted longer than three days, and this one was no exception. It was also quicker than the 2013 election of Francis, which required five rounds of voting. This time, the electoral body was larger than ever, with 133 cardinals. There is great anticipation as to whether Pope Leo XIV will continue the cautious reform course of his Argentinian predecessor.
Good wishes started pouring in. Among the first to congratulate the new pope was US President Donald Trump.
"It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Germany's new chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is Catholic, said in a press statement that people in Germany look to the new pontificate "with confidence and positive expectations."
Source: Qatar Tribune
