Conclave Picks Robert Prevost, Who Will Be Pope Leo
Newly elected Pope succeeds Francis amid growing calls for reform and navigating a divided Church
“Habemus Papam.” We Have a Pope.
After days of feverish speculation American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the 267th leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]
“Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. Habemus Papam [I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope,” said French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti as he introduced the man who will take over from the beloved Pope Francis, who died on April 21.
“He will take the name Leo the 14th” he said in Latin to rapturous cheers from crowds that had been gathering in St. Peter’s Square since white smoke poured from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, where the election took place, a little more than an hour before.
The newly anointed Pope Leo XIV came to the balcony clad in a white cassock topped by a red cape trimmed in ermine, and draped in a gold embroidered sash. He clasped his hands in prayer, and smiled as the crowds chanted his name, and “Viva La Papa!”
“May peace be with all of you,” he said in accented Italian. “To all people, wherever they are, to all the people of the earth, may peace be with you.”
He spoke briefly of his predecessor, saying: “May we all build bridges with dialogue, thank you Pope Francis.”
He thanked his fellow cardinals then briefly switched to Spanish, to thank his diocese in Peru, where he served for several decades. He concluded with his first “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, a formal address to the city of Rome and to the world, indicating the beginning of his papacy.
At the conclusion of the prayer, the crowd packed into St. Peter’s square waved flags from scores of countries, including a few American ones. It was a microcosm of the more than one billion catholics around the world that have been waiting more than a week for this moment.
Leo will be the first pope from the United States that the church has ever seen, and only the second pope from the Americas, after Francis who was from Argentina.
Read More: The Powerful Legacy of the First Latin American Pope
U.S. President Donald Trump, who attended Francis’s funeral last month, congratulated Pope Leo XIV in a post on social media: “It is such an honor to realize that he is the First American Pope,” Trump wrote. “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment.”
As the sun sank behind the Vatican, Pope Leo, from Chicago, grinned and waved to the 100,000 strong crowd. He bowed, then left the balcony.
The appearance of Leo, 69, on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, was the culmination of a centuries-old election ritual in which specially selected cardinals, sworn to secrecy, spent days behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel to decide who could best lead the church through a period of tumultuous change.
The voting began on Wednesday night with an inconclusive result. Another three rounds were held on Thursday, before Cardinal Prevost obtained the required two thirds majority necessary to be selected.
The fact that the selection took less than two days, on par with the selection of Francis in 2013, shows that the cardinals were nearly unanimous in their choice. It was not a given. While many wanted to see an extension of Francis’ inclusive legacy, there were those who feared that opening church doors to different views might dilute the power of the leadership.
Read More: Pope Francis’ Complicated, but Undeniable, Impact on The LGBTQ Community
The selection of Cardinal Prevost, a moderate pragmatist considered close to Francis as well as the Vatican leadership, is an indication that the cardinal-electors were seeking a steady hand to steer the church through thorny doctrinal debates sparked by Francis’ reformist bent.
His choice of name—Leo has historically signified strength during crisis—is also a strong indicator that he is prepared for what awaits the church during a time of global instability.
The fact that he donned the traditional ermine fringed red cape that Francis—in a sign of his commitment to humility—refused in 2013, could be an indication that Leo XIV might try to bring the church back to some of its more traditional roots. Still, he praised Francis’ commitment to ministering to the suffering of the world, and reiterated his desire to continue in Francis’ path of opening doctrinal debates to diverse voices, which is known as synodality.
Pope Leo XIV will return to the balcony above St. Peter’s Square for his inauguration in a few days, when thousands of catholic pilgrims from around the world gather to celebrate his leadership, no matter where it leads.
