Leo XIV: the new pope is American
“Habemus papam.” Early Thursday evening, May 8, the name of Francis's successor was revealed, following the fourth round of voting in a conclave that began the day before. It is Robert Francis Prevost, a cardinal originally from the United States who also holds Peruvian nationality. He takes the name Leo XIV.
The 267th pope in history is called Leo XIV. He is Robert Francis Prevost, a cardinal from Chicago in the United States. He is the “first American pope,” according to the New York Times .
The sovereign pontiff, “of Italian, French and Spanish origins” according to La Repubblica , appeared on the balcony of the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica on May 8 shortly before 7:30 p.m. His first words: “Peace be with you all,” spoken in Italian.
Although he is American, Cardinal Prevost, 69, is seen as a man of the Church “who transcends borders,” assures the New York Times: “He served for about twenty years in Peru, where he became a bishop and acquired nationality.”
A member of the Order of St. Augustine, “he resembles Pope Francis in his commitment to the poor and migrants,” the American daily continues.
It was in the fourth round of voting that the 133 cardinal electors found Francis's successor, La Repubblica reports live: on Thursday, May 8, "at 6:08 p.m., the white smoke appeared," greeted by a standing ovation in St. Peter's Square in Rome, where the faithful flocked in large numbers.
At 7:13 p.m., French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti revealed his name with the famous Latin phrase “habemus papam.” At that moment, some 100,000 people were waiting in St. Peter's Square, according to the Italian press.
The conclave of cardinal electors began on the evening of Wednesday, May 7. They had isolated themselves in Vatican City to find a successor to Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88. Leo XIV obtained a two-thirds majority, or a minimum of 89 votes.
“It was a quick conclave, like the one that led to the appointment of Benedict XVI in 2005 with four votes, a little less long than in 2013 when Francis was elected after five votes,” states the Spanish daily El País , also in its live broadcast. “On the other hand, it took eight rounds and three days to elect [John Paul II], during the conclave of October 1978 – after the sudden death of John Paul I, elected in August of the same year,” notes Le Temps .
On May 8, at 11:50 a.m., just as the day before at 7:06 p.m., black smoke billowed from the Vatican chimney. The fourth round of voting—the first took place on the first day of the conclave, May 7, and the next two on the morning of May 8—was therefore the correct one.
