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By Philip Nwosu
History was made yesterday 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, has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.
The conclave, which voted for a new leader after Pope Francis’s passing, chose Prevost on the second day of deliberations, becoming the first Pope from the United States and the latest spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
The new Pope who made his first address amidst a cheering crowd said in Italian: “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 thanked the cardinals who elected him during the two-day conclave.
He briefly paused as the crowd applauded and cheered.
“We can all walk together towards that homeland God has prepared for us,” he said. “A special greeting to the Church of Rome.”
Prevost then switched to Spanish to thank his former diocese in Peru “where loyal people have shared its faith and have given a lot.”
Switching back to Italian, the new pontiff called on the cheering crowd to pray to the Virgin Mary “together” for her blessing.
He then led the people in a quick prayer, which was greeted by further cheering.
After concluding his speech, the new Pope started reading a religious passage in Latin paying homage to the saints and the Madonna.
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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 State 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 emphasizes collaboration rather than control.
Robert Francis Prevost OSA who was born September 14, 1955 is an American Catholic prelate who served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023.
Prevost served as a bishop in Chiclayo, in northwestern Peru, from 2015 to 2023.
Francis brought him to Rome that year to head the Vatican office in charge of choosing which priests should serve as Catholic bishops across the globe, meaning he has had a hand in selecting many of the world’s bishops.
Prevost said during a 2023 Vatican press conference: “Our work is to enlarge the tent and to let everyone know they are welcome inside the Church.”
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.
Earlier, he had 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.”
