Pope Leo XIV: Cardinal Robert Prevost elected as first American pope
MANILA, Philippines — (Update 2, 2:50 a.m.) Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost — who holds nationality in both the United States and Peru — emerged Thursday as Pope Leo XIV, embracing his new role as shepherd to 1.4 billion Catholics.
Prevost, 69, received the necessary two-thirds majority on the fourth ballot of the conclave, with white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney at around 12:08 a.m. (Philippine time) on May 9.
The election of the new pope came on the second day of deliberations among the 133 cardinal electors — the most diverse group ever to select a pontiff, with representatives from 70 countries.
The soft-spoken Chicago native breaks new ground as the first American to lead the Catholic Church, though Vatican observers have described him as "the least American of the Americans," with many noting his measured temperament and global perspective.
The new pope appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to the thunderous applause of scores of the faithful. His first words as pope were: "Peace be with you all."
In his first address, the new pontiff urged people to "build bridges through dialogue, through encounter, to come together as one people, always in peace," before paying homage to his predecessor, Pope Francis.
From missionary to pope
Prevost brings both administrative acumen and pastoral experience as head of the Church.
He spent significant portions of his career as a missionary in Peru, becoming a naturalized citizen there and serving as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2014 to 2023.
The late Pope Francis tapped Prevost in 2023 to lead the powerful Dicastery for Bishops, the Vatican office that vets and recommends new bishop appointments worldwide — a position that gave him intimate knowledge of the Church's global leadership and operations.
That appointment signaled Francis's confidence in Prevost's commitment to reaching the "peripheries" of Catholicism, a hallmark of the late pontiff's approach.
Ahead of the 2025 conclave, Prevost's extensive missionary work in Peru helped position him as a potential compromise candidate, according to the College of Cardinals Report, a journalist-run website that offers profiles for 40 papal candidates.
Prevost's long years of experience in ministering in Peru had reportedly allowed him to have universal appeal, easing potential concerns over selecting a pope from a global superpower.
Before his Vatican appointment, Prevost also led the worldwide Augustinian order for 12 years, managing communities across multiple continents.
His academic background includes degrees in mathematics from Villanova University, theology from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and canon law from Rome's Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Challenges ahead
The new pontiff takes leadership of a Church that saw itself repositioned as a more pastoral and globally engaged institution during Francis' over decade-long papacy, yet facing persistent questions on doctrine and authority across continents.
He inherits immediate challenges, including conflicts affecting Catholic communities in Ukraine and the Middle East, substantial Vatican financial deficits, and deep polarization between progressive and traditionalist factions within the Church.
"We can't stop, we can't turn back," Prevost told Vatican News last month after Francis's death. "We have to see how the Holy Spirit wants the Church to be today and tomorrow, because today's world, in which the Church lives, is not the same as the world of ten or 20 years ago."
Criticism of Trump's anti-refugee policies
Months prior to his elevation to the papacy, Prevost had made his views on immigration issues under US President Donald Trump known — at least through sharing online articles.
In February, he shared a piece from the National Catholic Reporter titled "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others on his verified X account. This opinion piece by Cuban-American author Kat Armas challenged Vance's interpretation of Christian teachings to justify the US' restrictive immigration policies.
In the same month, Prevost shared another article, this time from America Magazine, with the headline: "Pope Francis' letter, JD Vance's 'ordo amoris' and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration."
This is not the first time Prevost has shared content criticizing Trump's immigration policies. In 2017, Prevost retweeted a post that quotes American Cardinal Blase J. Cupich as saying that Trump's refugee ban has been a "dark moment in US history."
Earlier, in 2015, Prevost also shared an article from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, titled "Why Donald Trump's anti-migrant rhetoric is so problematic."
Prevost also shared posts condemning the attack and killing of George Floyd in 2020. In May 2020, he retweeted a post by Bishop Michael Olsen that read: "I join my voice and prayers to those of my brother bishops that we might work hard to end racism in our hearts and in society. May God give comfort to the family of #GeorgeFloyd in this time of anguish."
US President Donald Trump on early Friday morning extended his congratulations to Prevost. He said his election as Pope was a "great honor" for his country.
"Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. 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 said on his Truth Social network.
The Philippine connection. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu shared on social media early Friday that Prevost had visited the Philippines years before his stint in the Vatican.
In a social media post, the archdiocese shared a photo of Prevost as a bishop when he visited Augustinians in Talisay City, Cebu.
— with reports by Agence-France Presse
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