Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost Elected 267th Pope, Takes Name Leo XIV
In a historic moment for the Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago has been elected the 267th pope, becoming the first American ever to hold the papacy. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
Prevost was chosen on the second day of deliberations by a conclave of more than 130 cardinals, succeeding Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 on April 21. This marks the Church’s first new pontiff since 2013.
The conclave officially began on May 7 inside the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. As is tradition, the cardinals were sequestered without outside contact until a decision was reached. The process followed strict rules, including an initial vote on the first day, followed by four rounds of voting each day thereafter.
Twice daily, ballots were burned to signal the outcome of the votes. Black smoke indicated no decision had been made, while the eventual appearance of white smoke signaled that a new pope had been chosen.
The previous papal conclave in 2013 also lasted two days and resulted in the election of Pope Francis following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.