On the evening of Thursday 8 May 2025 the Vatican announced the new pope: American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost.
As Pope Leo XIV he will head the Catholic Church from Vatican City in Rome, replacing former Pope Francis who died on 21 April 2025.
After a period of mourning for Pope Francis and two days of papal conclave in the Sistine Chapel, 133 cardinals elected Pope Leo as head of the Catholic Church.
The pope is highest in the Church’s hierarchy and is seen as the successor of St Peter. He is the spiritual leader of Catholics all over the world, speaking on matters of morals, faith, and scripture. Of the 266 former popes, 254 were from Europe.
Pope Leo is the first pope from the United States.
A two-thirds majority of cardinal votes is required to successfully elect a pope. The process of choosing a new pope is called conclave, named after the Latin “with a key”. Conclave is highly secretive and has been a formal process since the thirteenth century.
Former Pope Francis assumed his position in 2013. Pope Leo now succeeds him as the 267th pope.
After the traditional announcement of “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”) from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo addressed thousands of people gathered in the Square below, saying “peace be with you all”.
According to Reverend Christopher Robinson, popes choose their papal name to emulate their previous pontiffs. The most popular choice historically is John, chosen by 21 popes.
Leo speaks to an era of reform, according to Robinson, and shows a commitment to “the social teaching of the church”.
Pope Leo is originally from Chicago, with extensive missionary experience in Peru as bishop of Chiclayo.
Pope Leo is seen by many as a centrist, a subtle contrast to Francis who was regarded as progressive and modern.
During his papacy, Pope Francis voiced support for a greater role for women within the Catholic Church. He also called for a ceasefire in Gaza in his last public address at Easter mass. His most prominent legacy is arguably his stance on the LGBTQ+ community, saying in 2023, “if a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?”
Despite this, Pope Francis maintained the Vatican’s position that homosexual acts are sinful, and women cannot become priests.
Pope Leo’s stance on these contemporary issues will unfold throughout his papacy, but he is expected to be less progressive than Pope Francis.
A range of global leaders have congratulated Pope Leo on his appointment.
US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social:
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honour to realize that he is the first American Pope. 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!”
Vice President JD Vance and former President Biden also congratulated Pope Leo on X.
Other leaders offering congratulations included: Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Leo’s papacy begins with a series of pressing global issues, including Church unity, sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, the involvement of women, and sexuality and identity within the Catholic community.
“Sistine chapel from the transenna (SistineVR.com).jpg” by Dr pangloss is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
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