Chicago-born missionary Cardinal Robert Prevost became the 267th pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church in the Vatican City during a time of international unrest and conflict on Thursday when cardinals’ broke tradition and chose the first American pope.
Prevost, a 69-year-old Augustinian priest who served as a clergyman in Peru for most of his career, adopted the name Leo XIV.
In his opening remarks as Pope Francis’ successor from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica Leo he said, “Peace be with you”. He also stressed the importance of missionary evangelisation and “a disarmed and disarming peace” discourse. He is expected to build on the reforms of Francis.
Leo XIV wore the red cape and pope attire, which Francis had not worn when he was elected in 2013, indicating a return to some degree of tradition following the latter’s unconventional pontificate. However, the new Roman pontiff may have also wished to establish a clear line of continuity by naming himself Leo. Brother Leo was a Franciscan from the 13th century who was a close friend of the late pope’s namesake, St. Francis of Assisi.
“Together, we must try to find out how to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges, establishes dialogue, that’s always open to receive — like on this piazza with open arms — to be able to receive everybody that needs our charity, our presence, dialogue and love,” said Leo speaking in Italian.
Given the global geopolitical strength the US already possesses, there had long been a taboo against a US pope, even though Leo XIV had been a front-runner for the papacy. However, he appeared to be qualified because he is also a Peruvian citizen and had spent years in country, first as a missionary and later as a bishop. It’s also possible that the cardinals believed the world order of the 21st century could accommodate a pope who was born in the US.
Francis, the first Latin American pope in history, was obviously interested in Prevost and considered him to be his heir apparent in many respects. He sent Prevost to lead a challenging diocese in Peru before bringing him to the Vatican in 2023 to hold the influential position of head of the office that reviews international candidates for bishops. Francis promoted Prevost to the senior cardinal ranks earlier this year, which gave him a level of visibility that few other cardinals possessed before the conclave.
Although Prevost has maintained a low profile since coming to Rome, the men who matter knew him well. Notably, he oversaw one of most groundbreaking reforms of Fracis–the inclusion of three women in the voting group that selects which bishop candidates to send to the pope.
Shortly after 6 p.m. on Thursday, the second day of the most geographically varied conclave in history, white smoke flowed out of the Sistine Chapel, causing people in St. Peter’s Square to cheer. “Viva il papa!” the crowd yelled as priests made the sign of the cross.