VATICAN CITY — White smoke curled into the Roman sky late Thursday, met with cheers and gasps in St Peter’s Square. A new pope had been chosen.
From the ornate balcony of the Basilica, Cardinal Dominique Mamberti delivered the centuries-old words: “Habemus Papam.” The crowd waited, hushed.
Then came the name — Robert Francis Prevost.
The 69-year-old cardinal from Chicago, who spent decades as a missionary in Peru, was introduced as Pope Leo XIV, the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the first American to ascend to the papacy.
Dressed in traditional white and red, Leo XIV appeared moved but composed as he greeted the crowds in Italian and Spanish.
“Peace be with you,” he began, standing beneath the frescoed canopy. “We must walk together as a missionary Church — one that listens, embraces, and opens its arms to all.”
He called for a Church that “builds bridges” and welcomes all, echoing his predecessor Pope Francis’s message of compassion and inclusion.
A Global Response
World leaders swiftly reacted to the announcement.
US President Donald Trump described the moment as a “great honour” for the United States. “Pope Leo XIV will bring a message of peace that resonates well beyond the Catholic world,” he said in a statement.
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, extended congratulations and invited the pontiff to attend the International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in 2028. “His leadership comes at a critical time for people of faith around the globe,” Albanese said.
Across Asia, home to growing Catholic populations, celebrations broke out from Manila to Jakarta. The Philippines, which has the third-largest Catholic population in the world, held prayer vigils and processions.
A Man of Two Continents
Born in Chicago in 1955 to Franco-Italian and Spanish parents, Robert Prevost was raised in a deeply religious household. He became a priest in 1982 and soon after moved to Peru, where he spent years working with marginalised communities and training new clergy.
“He’s always been down to earth — a warm, thoughtful man who cares deeply about the poor,” said Reverend John Lydon, a former seminary roommate, speaking by phone from Chicago. “He never forgot where he came from.”
Prevost held key posts in Peru, including Bishop of Chiclayo and later Archbishop. In 2023, Pope Francis named him a cardinal and placed him in charge of the powerful Dicastery for Bishops in Latin America — the office responsible for vetting new bishops.
He holds both American and Peruvian citizenship and is often described as “Latino in spirit” by those who worked with him on the ground.
The Name Leo
In choosing the name Leo XIV, the new pope invoked the legacies of two earlier leaders. Pope Leo I, who famously persuaded Attila the Hun to spare Rome in the fifth century, and Pope Leo XIII, remembered for championing workers’ rights and social justice during the upheaval of the Industrial Revolution.
“It’s a name that suggests strength in dialogue and a deep concern for the vulnerable,” noted Archbishop Seán Patrick O’Malley of Boston, writing on his blog. “It signals continuity with Francis’s vision — but also a readiness to meet the world on new terms.”
Where He Stands
While Leo XIV is seen as a centrist, he has progressive leanings on some issues. He has expressed openness to blessing same-sex couples, in line with Pope Francis’s 2023 directive, though he has stressed that such matters must be handled “with respect to local cultures.”
On the environment, he has pushed for more than words. “We must act,” he said during a climate summit in 2023. He advocated for Vatican efforts to adopt solar panels and electric vehicles, calling it “a moral obligation to our planet.”
He also supported Pope Francis’s groundbreaking move to include women in key Vatican roles. In an interview with Vatican News, he said, “Their presence is an enrichment. It brings new insight into discernment and governance.”
Clouds of the Past
Like many Church leaders in Latin America, Prevost was touched by the long shadow of the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandals. His diocese in Peru has publicly denied any involvement in cover-ups. Still, scrutiny is expected to follow him into the Vatican.
“He’s aware of the pain,” said one Vatican official who has worked with Prevost. “There’s no ignoring it anymore — and he knows that.”
A Symbolic Moment
On Friday, Pope Leo XIV is expected to lead his first Mass as pontiff inside the Sistine Chapel, alongside the 133 cardinals who elected him.
As the crowd in St Peter’s Square slowly dispersed late Thursday, many were still digesting the surprise — not only of his name, but his roots.
“I never thought I’d live to see an American pope,” said Sister Maria Benedetta, a nun from Naples. “But it’s not about where he’s from. It’s about who he is — and what he stands for.”
From Chicago to Chiclayo, the world will be watching as Pope Leo XIV begins his journey — one that promises peace, bridges, and perhaps, a new chapter for the Catholic Church.
