An American is now leading the Roman Catholic Church and more than 2 billion Catholics around the world.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69 — a Villanova University graduate — was elected on the second day of the papal conclave at the Vatican, as announced just after 7 p.m. Rome time Thursday. Nearly an hour earlier, white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel on the second day of the conclave, signaling that cardinals had reached a majority vote to select a successor to Pope Francis.
The introduction was preceded with an announcement featuring the Latin phrase Habemus papam (We have a pope), followed by the new pontiff’s identity and the name he has taken for his papacy. In a stunning development, the announcement went for Prevost, who takes the name of Pope Leo XIV.
Prevost served as the Archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru, before being appointed by Pope Francis in 2023 to lead the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, the office responsible for overseeing the appointment of bishops worldwide. He became a Peruvian citizen in 2015 after serving there as a missionary and then as an archbishop.
The ancient ritual behind closed doors to choose the new Bishop of Rome saw 133 cardinals locked into the Sistine Chapel to make the secretive, prayerful deliberation. Only cardinals under 80 could vote in the conclave that elects a new pope — a rule established in 1970 by Pope Paul VI to encourage the selection of younger, forward-looking candidates.
At the time of Pope Francis’ death, there were 252 members of the College of Cardinals. 135 were eligible to vote in the conclave, but two dropped out due to illness.
Following the majority vote, ceremonial proceedings continued inside the Sistine Chapel. The senior-ranking cardinal first asked the pope-elect in Latin if he accepts the role. After saying yes, he was then asked what name he would like to use as pope, according to Vatican News.
A Vatican official writes down his acceptance and chosen name in an official document, with two witnesses present. At that moment, the conclave officially ends. Vatican staff are then allowed to enter and begin discussing any urgent matters with the new pope.
Before appearing to the public, the new pope steps into the “Room of Tears,” where he changes out of his cardinal robes and into papal garments. He takes a few moments for private prayer. He then returns to the Sistine Chapel for a brief ceremony and later stops in the Pauline Chapel for silent prayer before the official announcement.
This is a developing story. Check MetroPhiladelphia.com for updates and local reactions.
