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Habemus Papam!
With those words, the Catholic Church has a new Pope.
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost, current head of the Dicastery for Bishops, has been chosen by the 133 cardinal electors to guide the Church following the passing of Pope Francis April 21. The 69-year-old native of Chicago will assume the name Pope Leo XIV.
It’s a historic moment for the Church as Leo XIV will be the first American Pope.
The cardinal electors, including Canadian Cardinals Francis Leo and Thomas Collins of Toronto, Gerald Lacroix of Quebec City and Cardinal Michel Czerny, chose the new Pope on the second day of deliberation and voting, just after 12 noon Eastern time, and four votes. The world was notified that a new Pope was chosen when a stream of white smoke emanated from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
The official notification came when Cardinal Dominique Mamberti of France, Protodeacon (senior cardinal deacon) of the College of Cardinals, made the announcement from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square below.
The new Pope is a member of the Order of St. Augustine (he was prior general from 2001-13) and spent many years as a missionary in Peru, where he was Bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo from 2015-23. He’s been president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023.
Pope Leo XIV basked in the applause of the tens of thousands gathered in the square before delivering his first message as Pope, one of inclusvity. He told the crowd “I am a son of St. Augustine,” yet he stressed that all need to “walk together” as a welcoming Church for all.
“You are all in the hands of God,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV gave hope to those that sought a new leader of the Church who will take seriously his predecessor’s synodal path.
“We need to be a synodal Church,” he told the cheering crowd, one that is charitable to all who are suffering.
U.S. President Donald Trump was quick to congratulate the new Pope, taking to social media to say “What excitement and what a great honour for our country.”
“I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Trump posted to Truth Social.
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OSV News photo/Mario Tomassetti, Vatican Media/Jean-Matthieu Gautier, KNA via CPP
