On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was selected as the 267th pope out of 130 cardinals. This comes following the death of the 266th pope, Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio).
White smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel at approximately 6 p.m. local time in Rome, signaling that a new pope had been selected. Prevost will officially be known as Pope Leo XIV, and was chosen by the papal conclave on the second day of voting. Leo will be the first American pope ever, originally from Chicago, Illinois.
By tradition, Leo made an appearance on the St. Peter’s Basilica balcony, to greet the large crowd in St. Peter’s Square. He thanked Francis and gave an address in Latin, saying, “Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we go forward.” He then transitioned to reciting a prayer in Spanish, previously serving at a ministry in Peru.
This is the first new pope since 2013, and it is still marked as the fastest vote on a pope in conclave history. The papal selection process typically occurs 15-20 days following a pope’s death; this selection started 16 days after Francis passed away on April 21.
Despite being from the U.S., the newly elected pope only spent about one-third of his life in the states. The Villanova graduate has spent most of his life in South America and Italy. Mary Ann Ahern, a reporter from NBC 5 Chicago, spoke to a priest who went to Villanova University with Leo, who described him as “respected for his intelligence, good humor, and approachability, his stamina and his courage.”
After Leo graduated from Villanova University in 1977, he started the process of joining the Order of Saint Augustine in the same year. He made his solemn vows in 1981.
James Martin, a Jesuit priest from the Society of Jesus, described the incoming pope on X as, “I know Pope Leo XIV to be a kind, open, humble, modest, decisive, hard-working, straightforward, trustworthy, and down-to-earth man. A brilliant choice. May God bless him.”
