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Cardinal Robert Prevost elected Pope Leo XIV after white smoke billows from Sistine Chapel

Cardinal Robert Prevost elected Pope Leo XIV after white smoke billows from Sistine Chapel
The newly elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on May 8, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. Cardinal Robert Prevost will be known as Pope Leo XIV. White smoke was seen over the Vatican early this evening as the Conclave of Cardinals took just two days to elect the new Pontiff after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. (Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
Reuters
By Reuters
8 May 2025
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The election came on the first full day of voting by the 133 cardinal electors, who secluded themselves behind the Vatican’s medieval walls on Wednesday afternoon. Cardinal Robert Prevost of the US was elected as the first American pontiff in history.

White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on Thursday and the bells of St Peter’s rang out, signalling that cardinals have elected a new pope to succeed Pope Francis and take charge of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Leo XIV A handout picture provided by the Vatican shows newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost from the USA, blessing faithfuls from the central loggia of Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, 8 May 2025. (Photo: EPA-EFE / VATICAN MEDIA)



A nun reacts as white smoke (unseen) signals that cardinals elected a new pope during their conclave in the Vatican on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Jeff Pachoud / AFP)



white smoke pope White smoke rises from the chinmey of the Sistine Chapel, signalling that cardinals have elected a new pope. (Photo: Andreas Solaro / AFP)



st peter's square The crowded St Peter’s Square on the second day of the conclave, in Vatican City, 8 May 2025. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Riccardo Antimiani)



A joyous crowd in St Peter’s Square cheered and applauded as the first puffs of smoke emerged from a small chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals have been holding their secret ballot.

The identity of the pope and the name he has chosen as pontiff will be announced to the world from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica shortly.

The new pope will then step forward to deliver his first public address and blessing to the gathered crowds.

Pope Francis died on 21 April after ruling the 1.4-billion-member Church for 12 years. During his reign, he sought to open up the staid institution to the modern world, enacting a range of reforms and allowing debate on divisive issues such as women’s ordination and better inclusion of LGBT Catholics.

While no clear favourites had emerged to succeed him, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as the Vatican’s number two under Francis, and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle were considered as the frontrunners.

Other “papabili” – potential papal candidates in Italian – were France’s Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary’s Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost, Italy’s Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Filipino Pablo Virgilio David.

The cardinals will have had to decide whether to pick someone to build on Francis’ vision of greater openness and reform, or else choose a more conservative figure.

During the conclave, their only communication with the outside world was through the smoke emerging from the chimney – black for no pope yet picked, white signalling a new pontiff chosen by a majority of at least two-thirds.

The cardinals held an initial inconclusive vote on Wednesday evening and a further two followed on Thursday morning. They returned to the Sistine Chapel at 4pm and at around 6:08pm, the white smoke emerged.

During the conclave, cardinals were sequestered from the world and sworn to secrecy, their phones and computers confiscated, while they were shuttled between the Sistine Chapel for voting and two Vatican guesthouses to sleep and dine.

The average number of ballots it has taken to be elected over the past 10 conclaves was 7.2. Francis was elected after five in 2013.

Who is Cardinal Robert Prevost?


Prevost, 69, an American who has spent much of his career as a missionary in Peru, is a relative unknown on the global stage. Made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023, he has given few media interviews and rarely speaks in public.

Originally from Chicago, he has attracted interest from his peers because of his quiet style and support for Francis’ 12-year papacy, especially his commitment to social justice issues.

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.”  



The newly elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on 8 May 2025 in Vatican City. Cardinal Robert Prevost will be known as Pope Leo XIV. (Photo: Antonio Masiello / Getty Images)


Pope Leo XIV, the first US pope, supported Francis and has shunned the spotlight


Robert Prevost, the choice of the world’s Roman Catholic cardinals to serve as leader of the 1.4-billion-member church, is the first pope from the United States and a relative unknown on the global stage.

Aged 69 and originally from Chicago, Prevost has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and became a cardinal only in 2023. He has given few media interviews.

He takes the papal name Leo XIV and succeeds Pope Francis, who had led the Church since 2013.

Father Mark Francis, a friend of Prevost since the 1970s, told Reuters the cardinal was a firm supporter of his predecessor’s papacy, and especially of the late pontiff’s commitment to social justice issues.

“He was always friendly and warm and remained a voice of common sense and practical concerns for the Church’s outreach to the poor,” said Father Francis, who attended seminary with Prevost and later knew him when they both lived in Rome in the 2000s.

“He has a wry sense of humour, but was not someone who sought the limelight,” said Father Francis, who leads the US province of the Viatorian religious order.

Prevost first served as a bishop in Chiclayo, in northwestern Peru, from 2015 to 2023, and became a Peruvian citizen in 2015, so he has dual nationalities.

Pope 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.

Jesús León Angeles, coordinator of a Catholic group in Chiclayo who has known Prevost since 2018, called him a “very simple” person who would go out of his way to help others.

Leon Angeles said Prevost had shown special concern for Venezuelan migrants in Peru, saying: “He is a person who likes to help.” More than 1.5 million Venezuelans have moved to Peru in recent years, partly to escape their country’s economic crisis.

In a 2023 interview with the Vatican’s news outlet, Prevost focused on the importance of evangelisation to help the Church grow.

“We are often preoccupied with teaching doctrine ... but we risk forgetting that our first task is to teach what it means to know Jesus Christ,” he said.

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 knows how to listen’


Prevost was born in 1955 and is a member of the global Augustinian religious order, which includes about 2,500 priests and brothers, operates in 50 countries and has a special focus on a life of community and equality among its members.

He has a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University in Philadelphia, a master’s from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and a doctorate in Church law from the Pontifical College of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

Prevost first went to Peru as a missionary in 1985, returning to the United States in 1999 to take up a leadership role in his religious order.

He later moved to Rome to serve two six-year terms as head of the Augustinians, visiting many of the order’s communities across the world. He is known to speak English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese.

Returning to Rome in 2023, Prevost generally did not take part in many of the social events that attract Vatican officials throughout the city.

Leon Angeles said he was a person with leadership skills, “but at the same time, he knows how to listen. He has that virtue.”

“The cardinal has the courtesy to ask for an opinion, even if it’s from the simplest or most humble person,” León Angeles said. “He knows how to listen to everyone.” DM

Full text of Pope Leo XIV's first speech: 'Peace be with you'


The following is the full first speech of Pope Leo XIV, given from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica shortly after his election as the new pope and leader of the Catholic Church. He spoke in Italian then switched briefly to Spanish:

"Peace be with all of you!

Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God's flock. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your heart, to reach your families, to all people, wherever they are, to all peoples, to the whole earth. Peace be with you!

This is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally. We still have in our ears that weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis who blessed Rome!

The pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the entire world, that Easter morning.

Allow me to follow up on that same blessing: God cares for us, God loves all of us, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God's hands. Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us move forward.

We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as the bridge to reach God and His love.

Help us too, then help each other to build bridges - with dialogue, with encounter, uniting all of us to be one people always in peace. Thank you, Pope Francis!

I also want to thank all the fellow cardinals who chose me to be the Successor of Peter and to walk with you, as a united Church always seeking peace, justice - always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.

I am a son of Saint Augustine, (an) Augustinian, who said: "With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop." In this sense, we can all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.

To the Church of Rome, a special greeting! We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges (and) dialogue, always open to receive (people), like this square, with open arms - everyone, all those who need our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.

(Switching into Spanish) And if you allow me also, a word, a greeting to all those, and particularly to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, have shared their faith, and have given so much, so much to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ.

(Switching back to Italian) To all of you, brothers and sisters of Rome, of Italy, of the whole world, we want to be a synodal Church, a Church that walks, a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer.

Today is the day of the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii. Our Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, to stay close, to help us with her intercession and her love.

So I would like to pray together with you. Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole Church, for peace in the world, and let us ask for this special grace from Mary, our Mother." 

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