American prelate Robert Francis Prevost was elected the new Pope on Thursday. The 69-year-old Chicago-born Prevost, a member of the Augustinian order who served extensively in Peru, has been the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023. Pope Francis appointed him to these roles and elevated him to the rank of Cardinal.
He will take the pontifical name Leo XIV.
Significantly, he is the second consecutive Pope from the Americas, following the Argentinian-born Pope Francis.
There was eager anticipation over who the next Pope would be, as the trademark white smoke billowed from the chimney high above St. Peter’s Square in the evening, signaling that the conclave of Cardinals had selected a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away last month.
Joy erupted among the clergy and laypeople gathered in the square, and all eyes turned to the balcony, awaiting the first appearance of the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Addressing the cheering crowd in Italian, the new Pope said: “Peace be with all of you.”
“Brothers and sisters dearest, this is the first greeting of Christ resurrected. I would like to offer a greeting of peace to reach your families, all of you, wherever you are. May peace be with you,” he added, according to the BBC.
The 133 Cardinals making up the conclave, which took place in the Sistine Chapel, had reconvened after a lunch break following inconclusive ballots earlier in the day.
A new Pope requires a two-thirds majority—equivalent to 89 votes in this conclave. According to the BBC, the average duration of recent conclaves has been three days and seven ballots.-IANS
