The College of Cardinals have elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost OSA as the 267th Bishop of Rome. He has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.
A bit after 6:00pm on Thursday (Rome time), the white smoke appeared from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating a new Pope had been elected.
A short time later, Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, announced the election of the new Holy Father.
Pope Leo XIV previously served as the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023.
He is the first Pope from North America and the first Pope from the Order of Saint Augustine.
Provost was born on 14 September 1955 in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his secondary studies at a minor seminary run by the Order of Saint Augustine however upon graduation in 1973, he chose to pursue a science degree.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics at the Augustinian founded Villanova University in 1977. Later that year, he decided to join the Order of Saint Augustine.
He took his first vows as an Augustinian in September 1978 and solemn vows in August 1981. He was ordained a priest for the Order of Saint Augustine by Archbishop Jean Jadot in Rome on 19 June 1982.
He earned a Licentiate of Canon Law in 1984 and a Doctor of Canon Law in 1987 from the Pontifical College of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He has spent large parts of his career in South America, serving in Peru as well as his native USA. He was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015 and elevated to the cardinalate in 2023.
In January 2023, Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the Dicastry for Bishops. The Dicastry oversees the selection of new bishops, schedules ad limina visits and oversees the formation of new dioceses. He was elected to the Cardinalate later that year.
The Papal Conclave had begun on Wednesday, 7th May and the Cardinal electors had spent two days voting. He was elected on the fourth ballot.
His election comes just over two weeks since the sudden death of Pope Francis.
His inauguration is expected to take place in a week’s time and will likely draw hundreds of thousands of faithful to Saint Peter’s Square.