Robert Prevost is Elected, Takes Title Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV has a particular bond together with his predecessor, Pope Francis.

Francis made the previous Robert Francis Prevost a cardinal in 2023 to function the top of the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the highly effective place that decides who turns into a bishop.

—The 2 even have South American roots. Pope Francis was from Argentina and was the primary Latin American cardinal to grow to be a pope. Pope Leo XIV is a Chicago native however has twin citizenship in Peru, the place he served because the Archbishop of Chiclayo and lived for years within the Latin American nation.

Mary Ann Ahern, a reporter from NBC 5 Chicago, spoke to Lester Holt on NBC about witnessing the connection between the 2 pontiffs. She spoke to Pope Leo XIV after the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.

“He spoke very extremely of Pope Francis,” Ahern mentioned.

She mentioned she additionally reached out to a priest who went to Villanova College with Pope Leo XIV.

“He’s revered for his intelligence, good humor, and approachability, his stamina and his braveness,” the priest mentioned concerning the new pope. “He was buddy of Francis.”

Newly-elected Pope Leo XIV, the primary American to carry the position, was born in Chicago in 1955 to Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martínez, in response to the Vatican’s official information web site. He has two brothers, named Louis Martín and John Joseph.

He spent his childhood together with his household earlier than finding out at Villanova College. He began the method to affix the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and made his solemn vows in 1981.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson shared a publish to X in response to the information of Robert Prevost, who was born within the metropolis in 1955, being elected as the primary American pope. Prevost chosen to go by the identify Leo XIV for his papacy.

“Every part dope, together with the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the primary American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you again residence quickly,” Johnson wrote.

A large outpouring of delight and assist has are available for Pope Leo XIV after the Chicago native turned the primary American pope in historical past.

President Donald Trump responded to the information that the primary American man has been named the subsequent pope in a publish on Fact Social.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was simply named Pope,” Trump mentioned. “It’s such an honor to comprehend that he’s the primary American Pope. What pleasure, and what a Nice Honor for our Nation. I stay up for assembly Pope Leo XIV. It is going to be a really significant second!”

Robert Francis Prevost has levels from Villanova College; the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, the place he was additionally born; and the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, in response to the Nationwide Catholic Reporter.

He speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese, the NCR reported, and moreover can learn German and Latin.

These expertise give him “talents to speak together with his fellow cardinals in ways in which others can not,” the NCR mentioned.

Although Prevost is the primary American pope, he has spent “solely a 3rd of his life” within the U.S., opting to spend extra of his time in Latin America and Europe.

There have now been 267 popes over the centuries, and the newly elected Pope Leo XIV is the primary American one in historical past.

The previous Robert Francis Prevost, a cardinal from Chicago, made historical past together with his election right now. He’s a 1977 graduate of Villanova College within the Philadelphia space.

Prevost has spent a 3rd of his life in Peru and a 3rd in Italy, which Vatican observers say could have contributed to him being elected. He additionally had the highly effective place over overseeing any new bishops throughout the church as the top of its Dicastery for Bishops.

Following custom, Pope Leo XIV is addressing the massive crowd from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after his election.

In 2013, Pope Francis emerged in easy white vestments and requested for the blessings and prayers of the group.

“Plainly my brother cardinals have come nearly to the ends of the Earth (to discover a new pope),” he mentioned, presumably in reference to the Argentinian cardinal turning into the primary pope from Latin America.

“Allow us to begin this journey, bishop and other people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which leads all of the church buildings in charity, a journey of fraternity, of affection, of belief amongst us,” he continued.

In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI instructed the group he was a “humble employee within the winery of the Lord.”

When Pope John Paul II was elected in 1978, he was the primary non-Italian elected in 455 years when he addressed the group. He famous that he got here from Poland however would tackle the group in “our” language, that means their language.

“If I make a mistake, you’ll right me,” he mentioned to cheers.

Pope Leo XIV has made his first public look on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

An American, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the brand new chief of the church, elected after simply two days of voting through the conclave.

The papal identify that will probably be taken by Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago, the primary American to ever grow to be pope, was drowned out by the roaring crowd when it was introduced by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti of France.

Lester Holt of NBC Information reported from the scene that it is unclear whether or not the group heard what identify Prevost will take as pope.

Robert Francis Prevost, an American, has been named the subsequent chief of the Roman Catholic Church.

Crowds are anxiously awaiting for him to make his first look as pope and to disclose his papal identify.

Waves of pleasure have rushed by Rome because the white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the subsequent chief of the Roman Catholic Church has been chosen.

Crowds rapidly started to assemble in St. Peter’s Sq., with some NBC Information reporters on the bottom describing the ambiance as “a celebration of 1000’s.”

A band has arrived, however it’s arduous to listen to the music over the noise of the crowds, in response to NBC Information reporters.

Whereas this conclave started yesterday and ended right now, it isn’t fairly the quickest one in historical past.

In 1503, Pope Julius II was elected in simply 10 hours.

It’s believed the latest pope was elected after the fourth spherical of voting.

It continues a pattern of shorter conclaves lately, in response to NBC Information. Pope Francis was elected after simply two days in 2013, as have been Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, Pope John Paul I in 1978 and Pope Pius XII in 1939.

The longest conclave was within the thirteenth century, when it took practically three years to elect Pope Gregory X in 1271. That lengthy conclave led to modifications in how a pope is chosen.

The conclave to select the latest chief of the Roman Catholic church started on Could 7. The Faculty of Cardinals attended mass at St. Peter’s Basilica within the morning, earlier than heading to the Sistine Chapel to take an oath of secrecy and holding one vote.

The cardinals have been unable to achieve a two-thirds majority through the vote on Could 7 and started voting once more on Could 8. The conclave is believed to have held a number of further votes on Could 8 earlier than electing the brand new pope.

Based mostly on traditions of the pope election course of, after the pope has been voted in by the Faculty of Cardinals, he’s requested two questions: “Do you settle for your canonical election as supreme pontiff?” and “By what identify do you want to be referred to as?” 

He’s then led right into a small vestry behind the Final Judgment wall, which in Italian is named the “Room of Tears.” The room acquired the identify after a number of popes had been overwhelmed with emotion and moved to tears after they’d been elected.

As soon as inside the room, the brand new pope will placed on his papal cassock for the primary time. Three sizes of the gown — small, medium and huge — have been ready forward of time in three sizes to be accessible for whoever wears them. Some small alterations could also be made earlier than he seems earlier than the general public.

Now that the white smoke has indicated a pope has been chosen, NBC Information host Lester Holt reported that it ought to take about an hour to disclose the brand new pope’s identification.

That signifies that round 1 p.m. ET we should always know the identification of the 267th pope in historical past.

When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, it took about an hour after the white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel to disclose that the Argentinian cardinal had been elected. 

The announcement of the brand new pope right now will probably be delivered by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti of France, who will emerge on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to proclaim in Latin, “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam,” which implies, “I announce to you a fantastic pleasure: Now we have a pope.”

Mamberti will then share the identify of the brand new pope and the identify he’ll use as pontiff. The brand new pope will then come out on the balcony a couple of minutes after he’s introduced. 

Round 6 p.m. native time in Rome, white smoke started to come back from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating the conclave has chosen its 267th pope.

This implies at the least two-thirds of the cardinals have voted to decide on the subsequent chief of the Catholic Church. At the least 89 votes have been wanted to achieve this threshold.

An announcement of who has been elected must be coming shortly on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.