The world has just seen the new Holy Father for the first time, and he is creating history in another way as well: he is the first American to be elected Pope.
Robert Prevost came out onto the Basilica balcony in St. Peter’s Square, overlooking thousands of parishioners in Vatican City, and proclaimed his official papal name on Thursday evening.
Prevost, a Chicago native who is now a Peruvian citizen, said that he will adopt the name Leo XIV.
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Just an hour before, white smoke poured from the Sistine Chapel chimney, symbolizing that the College of Cardinals had successfully chosen the next Bishop of Rome with a two-thirds majority, capping a relatively brief two-day conclave.
Leo is now the 267th pope… the 69-year-old was elected this morning in the third round of the papal conclave by his fellow cardinals and will be appointed a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023.
Prevost became a citizen of the South American country in 2015, after serving as a missionary there for several years. He was the Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru and the head of the Augustinian order, and he is well-known for supporting and advocating for many of Francis’ church reform initiatives.
US President Donald Trump hailed the new pope on social media shortly after he made his first public appearance Thursday.
However, it should be mentioned that the incoming pope may not agree with this administration… in February, Prevost re-tweeted on his X account a story from The National Catholic Reporter titled “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
Prevost was ordained as a priest in 1982; most recently, he managed the appointment of new bishops in the church and served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, as well as a theology diploma from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
As you are aware, Pope Francis’ death last month paved the way for a new pope, and many clerics raced to Vatican City to select a new leader for the church.
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