Pope Leo XIV Elected as First American Pope

The Vatican has declared the election of Pope Leo XIV, marking a historic moment as the first American pope in the Catholic Church’s history. This announcement followed the sight of white smoke rising from the chimneys of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday.

The Protodeacon, Cardimeter Dominique Mamberti, revealed to the thousands of gathered faithful in St. Peter’s Square that Robert Francis Prevost had been elected after about 24 hours of deliberations among 133 voting cardinals.

Prevost, a 69-year-old Augustinian, appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Cathedral, donning the traditional red papal cape. His opening words in Italian were “peace with you,” conveying a message of “without fear” to the faithful, emphasizing peace and dialogue. He then addressed the crowd in Spanish, reflecting on his missionary years in Chiclayo, Peru, where he later served as archbishop. Interestingly, he did not speak in English.

Prevost is succeeding the late Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at 88 after facing health challenges. There’s a certain continuity in Prevost’s views, which seem to align closely with those of his predecessor.

Having been brought to the Vatican by Francis in 2023, Prevost had become a notable figure, as he worked as a director overseeing the vetting of bishops’ nominations globally—one of the most critical roles within the Church.

Born in Chicago on September 14, 1955, Prevost also holds citizenship in Peru, where he spent many years as a missionary and later as an archbishop.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977 and went on to pursue theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he took a solemn vow in 1982.