By Philip Nwosu
History was made on Thursday evening as white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel, announcing the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The 69-year-old American from Chicago, Illinois, will take the papal name Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first pope from the United States and the latest spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Pope Leo XIV emerged as the cardinals’ choice after two days of deliberations in conclave, matching the timeline of his predecessors, Popes Francis and Benedict XVI, and signalling swift consensus among the 133 cardinal-electors.
Though American by birth, Pope Leo XIV is deeply rooted in global ministry.
Addressing the cheering crowd in Italian, the 69-year-old says, “Peace be with all of you.
“Brothers and sisters dearest, this is the first greeting of Christ resurrected. I would like to offer a greeting of peace to reach your families, all of you, wherever you are. May peace be with you.”
The Catholic Pontiff then thanks the cardinals who elected him during the two-day conclave.
He briefly pauses as the crowd applauds and cheers.
“We can all walk together towards that homeland God has prepared for us,” he says. “A special greeting to the Church of Rome.”
Prevost then switches to Spanish to thank his former diocese in Peru, “where a loyal people has shared its faith and has given a lot.”
Switching back to Italian, the new pontiff calls on the cheering crowd to pray to the Virgin Mary “together” for her blessing.
He then leads the people in a quick prayer, which is greeted by further cheering.
After concluding his speech, the new Pope starts reading a religious passage in Latin, paying homage to the saints and the Madonna.
A member of the Augustinian religious order, he spent over a decade as a missionary and later bishop in Peru, serving communities in Trujillo and Chiclayo. His long tenure abroad appears to have calmed concerns traditionally held by electors about selecting a United States candidate, given America’s global political influence.
He most recently led the Dicastery for Bishops, the powerful Vatican office responsible for assessing and recommending candidates for bishoprics worldwide. He was also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, giving him deep insight into one of the Church’s most vibrant regions.
Vatican observers have described him as “calm”, “balanced”, and “exceptionally capable”, with a leadership style that emphasises collaboration rather than control.
Robert Francis Prevost OSA, who was born September 14, 1955, is an American Catholic prelate who has served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023. He previously served as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023 and was prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013. In 2015, Cardinal Prevost became a naturalised citizen of Peru, as confirmed by Peru’s National Civil Registry.
Born in Chicago, Prevost spent the early part of his career there working for the Augustinians. He served in Peru from 1985 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1998 as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher and administrator. He was made a cardinal in 2023.
In 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a prominent role that has elevated his profile as a potential papal candidate. Since Francis’s death, Prevost had been called papabile, a leading candidate for election as pope during the 2025 papal conclave.
Pope Leo XIV is expected to carry forward the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, particularly in areas of Church reform and global inclusivity. His tenure at the Dicastery for Bishops saw the inclusion of women in leadership roles—a move he once said was “more than just a gesture”, calling it “real and meaningful participation”.
In a 2023 interview with Vatican News, he remarked, “I still consider myself a missionary. My vocation, like that of every Christian, is to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is.”