As we know now, the conclave has chosen Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the next pope. He is American-born, which makes him the first pope to have those roots. However, he’s also a Peruvian citizen, and he has stayed most of his life there. He’ll be called Pope Leo XIV by the 1.4 billion Catholics across the globe.
His selection was confirmed by the prestigious 133 red-robed cardinals in the Sistine Chapel.
Even before the declaration of the new pope, people were outside the St Peter’s Basilica. The 69-year-old Pope Leo XIV is the 267th one to be chosen for this esteemed role. He was ordained in 1982, and previously he worked as an altar boy. His roots may be in the US, but he spent his life as a missionary in Peru, so he is qualified to do the job of pope.
In Peru, he was known to help several communities and even help with infrastructure like bridges. Besides, he was also present in the US to serve as a pastor. His parents are Franco-Italian and Spanish.
In addition, he was also a teacher at Trujillo’s seminary. The new pope holds a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University, which is among the best Catholic institutions.
Barrack Obama: Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many,… pic.twitter.com/8p5PjQNNfq
— City Mirror (@citymirrorKE) May 8, 2025
As soon as he was announced as the new pope, he greeted the crowd outside. The Vatican took two days to deliberate on the new pope’s decision. After selection, he blessed the crowd that was already cheering for him. We saw some emotional and happy faces in the crowd.
Barack Obama, who is from Chicago, just like the Pope, congratulated the new pope. He wrote that he and Michelle sent their congratulations to the fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. He also said how historic the day is for America and that he’ll pray for him as his sacred work begins. Moreover, he hopes for an impactful papacy, and he’s able to set an example regardless of anyone’s faith.
‘HISTORIC’
Nagpaabot ng pagbati ang mga dating presidente ng United States na sina Barack Obama at Bill Clinton para sa bagong pinuno ng Simbahang Katolika na si #PopeLeoXIV. #News5 pic.twitter.com/BBQvow5vvx
— News5 (@News5PH) May 9, 2025
In his opening speech, Pope Leo XIV talked about how the current church needs to come together in collaboration and be a welcoming space for everyone. Besides, he wants to open dialogue and be open to everyone who needs love, presence, and charity.
He also thanked his Cardinal brothers for choosing him. He comes as a successor of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Everyone has been mourning his loss ever since. His funeral was watched by several world leaders and by billions.
The new pope comes as a huge hope and is already making a remark as a historic event for the Americans as well as catholic everywhere.
