First-ever US pope: Cardinal Robert Prevost elected as pontiff, becoming Leo XIV
‘Peace by with you,’ new Catholic Church head tells crowds outside St. Peter’s Basilica, shortly after white smoke signaled successor to Pope Francis was picked on day 2 of vote
VATICAN CITY, Holy See (AFP) — Robert Francis Prevost became the first pope from the United States on Thursday, picking the papal name Leo XIV after cardinals from around the world elected him leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Tens of thousands of people packed in St. Peter’s Square cheered as Prevost appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, waving with both hands, smiling and bowing.
“Peace by with you,” he told the crowds, urging people to “build bridges through dialogue, through encounter, to come together as one people, always in peace.”
White smoke from the Sistine Chapel had billowed into the sky on the cardinals’ second day of voting to announce his election in a secret conclave, while the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica and churches across Rome rang out.
Crowds of people rushed toward the square to watch the balcony of the basilica, which has been fitted out with red curtains for the first address to the world by the 267th pope.
The new pontiff, who succeeds Argentine reformer Pope Francis, was introduced in Latin with his chosen papal name.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said an elated Joseph Brian, a 39-year-old chef from Belfast in Northern Ireland, who came with his mother to Rome for the spectacle. “I’m not an overly religious person but, being here with all these people just blew me away,” he told AFP as people around him jumped up and down in excitement.
There were euphoric scenes as one priest sat on someone’s shoulders waving a Brazilian flag, and another lifted a heavy crucifix into the air in jubilation.
Pope Francis died last month, aged 88, after a 12-year papacy during which he sought to forge a more compassionate Church — but drew anger from many conservatives with his progressive approach, as well as anger in Israel over his criticism of the war against Hamas in Gaza.
The new pope now faces a momentous task: as well as asserting his moral voice on a conflict-torn global stage, he must try to unite a divided Church and tackle burning issues such as the continued fallout from the sexual abuse scandal.
Some 133 “Princes of the Church” from five continents — the largest and most international conclave ever — began voting on Wednesday afternoon. Sworn to secrecy, on pain of excommunication, their only means of communicating their progress to the outside world was by sending up smoke through the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.
On Wednesday evening and then again on Thursday lunchtime, the smoke was black, eliciting disappointed sighs from the tens of thousands watching. But on Thursday afternoon, just after 6 p.m. (1600 GMT), the smoke emitted was white, confirming that the Catholic Church has a new spiritual leader.
It was unknown how many ballots it took to elect the new pope, but it followed recent history in wrapping up in less than two days.
In 2005, Benedict XVI, a German theologian, was elected in four ballots and Francis, in 2013, was elected in five ballots.
While the details of the election will forever remain secret, the new pope had to secure at least two-thirds of the votes to be elected. By tradition, he then entered the Room of Tears — where freshly-elected popes give free rein to their emotions — to don a papal cassock for the first time, before returning to the Sistine Chapel where the cardinals pledged their obedience.
He then appeared on the balcony, where a senior cardinal announced to the waiting crowds: “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”).
The election of Pope Leo has come at a time of great geopolitical uncertainty, which was seen as a key voting issue, along with the rifts within the Church.
Francis was a compassionate reformer who prioritized migrants and the environment, but he angered traditionalists who wanted a defender of doctrine rather than a headline-maker.
Some 80 percent of the cardinal electors were appointed by Francis. Hailing from 70 countries around the world, it was the most international conclave ever. That was no guarantee, however, that the cardinals would pick someone in his vein.
The question was whether to choose a pastor or diplomat, a liberal or conservative, someone versed in the Curia — the Church’s governing body — or a relative outsider from areas of the world where Catholic faith is thriving.
Before the cardinals were locked into the Sistine Chapel Wednesday, their dean Giovanni Battista Re urged them to choose someone able to protect the Church’s unity.
The next pope must also be able to lead “at this difficult and complex turning point in history,” amid raging conflicts around the world and the rise of ultra-nationalist parties.
The Church has also had difficulty in adapting to the modern world, with declining priest numbers and increasingly empty pews in the West.
The papal inauguration usually takes place less than a week after the election with a mass celebrated before political and religious leaders from around the world. The new pope will likely do a tour of St. Peter’s Square in his popemobile for the first time, before delivering a homily outlining his priorities.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.