Cardinal Robert Prevost becomes first American Pope Leo XIV

US Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a native of Chicago and holding Peruvian citizenship, has been elected as the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the name Leo XIV, making him the first American pope.

The election concluded on Thursday, May 8 (local time), with white smoke signaling the choice after a two-day papal conclave at the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.

He was chosen on the fourth ballot by 133 cardinals, making him one of the fastest pontiffs elected in papal history.

Before his election, Pope Leo XIV served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023.

His papal name, Leo XIV, signifies a focus on the rights of laborers, dignity, free trade, the right to association, and social doctrines, honoring the poor and laborers.

He inherits a global institution grappling with geopolitical instability, internal ideological divisions, declining church attendance in the West, and the lingering impact of clerical abuse scandals.