Robert Francis Prevost
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost attends the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on April 26, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the 267th pope, becoming the new spiritual leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV.

Prevost, 69, hails from Chicago, Illinois, and makes history as the first American to ascend to the papacy. His election was confirmed Thursday following the appearance of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the College of Cardinals had reached a decision.

A seasoned church leader with deep international experience, Pope Leo XIV spent over a decade as a missionary in Peru. He served in Trujillo and later as bishop of Chiclayo from 2014 until 2023. Most recently, he led the Vatican's powerful Dicastery for Bishops, overseeing the appointment of bishops worldwide.

In a past interview with Vatican News, he reflected on his calling: "I still consider myself a missionary. My vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is."

He is expected to continue and strengthen the reform agenda set forth by his predecessor, Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV is set to appear shortly on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to deliver his first blessing as pontiff.

Originally published on HNGN