Robert Francis Prevost, the primary American pope, held his first mass within the Sistine Chapel Friday morning. It comes after he was chosen by the papal conclave to take over as chief of the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church.
The brand new pontiff, who has taken the title Leo XIV, was chosen on day 2 of the conclave. It came visiting two weeks after the demise of Pope Francis at age 88.
Prevost, 69, is a Chicago-born cardinal who beforehand served in Peru for twenty years.
Simply after 6 p.m. native time in Vatican Metropolis (midday ET) on Thursday, white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney as bells rang, which symbolized that the conclave had reached the two-thirds majority mandatory for a brand new pope.
Earlier votes, which resulted in black smoke coming from the chapel, meant {that a} vote was inconclusive and didn’t attain a call.
The papal conclave started on Might 7 with 133 electors, the biggest variety of voting cardinals in historical past.
A crowd of greater than 10,000 folks had gathered in St. Peter’s Sq. on Thursday to await the outcomes of the votes.
The newly elected pope appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the place he was launched to the world.
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Kate Murphy
The Vatican offered an agenda for the pope’s schedule for the rest of this month:
Sunday, Might 11: He’ll ship his first Sunday blessing as pope at midday native time from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Monday, Might 12: The brand new pope will converse with journalists within the Vatican auditorium.
Sunday, Might 18: Pope Leo XIV will probably be formally put in as pope at a Mass in St. Peter’s Sq..
Wednesday, Might 21: He’ll preside over his first normal viewers with the general public.
His schedule additionally contains numerous conferences with cardinals, Vatican officers and the diplomatic corps.
