Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the 267th leader of the world Catholic Church. Taking the papal name Leo XIV, Prevost succeeds Pope Francis who died on April 21
His election followed three rounds of voting during a papal conclave that began on Wednesday, May 7, with 133 cardinals from around the world gathering inside the Sistine Chapel.
White smoke rose from the chapel’s chimney, signaling the successful election of a new pope. The announcement was met with cheers from tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square, where bells from St. Peter’s Basilica rang out in confirmation.
As priests and nuns in the crowd made the sign of the cross and chanted “Viva il Papa!” the Church’s senior cardinal deacon, Dominique Mambert, appeared on the central balcony of the basilica to proclaim “Habemus Papam”, meaning “We have a Pope.”
Moments later, Pope Leo XIV stepped forward, waved to the crowd, smiled, and bowed deeply. “May peace be with us all,” the new pontiff said in his first public address.
Robert Francis Prevost has officially become the 267th pope, and the first-ever pontiff from the United States in the nearly 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.
Robert Francis Prevost
Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost has long been a significant figure in the Catholic hierarchy. Before his election, he served as Archbishop of Chicago, the largest archdiocese in North America.
Prevost was also a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, a region that is home to nearly 40% of the world’s Catholic population.
Previously, he led the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, who also appointed him to lead the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, an influential office responsible for selecting and overseeing bishops worldwide.
Shortly before Pope Francis’s death, Prevost was widely regarded as one of the Vatican’s most powerful figures, having been entrusted with the appointment and management of Church leadership globally.
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According to The Telegraph, Prevost gained a reputation as a reformer, notably for including three women on the voting panel that evaluates bishop nominations, a groundbreaking move within the traditionally male-dominated Vatican structure.
Pope Leo XIV
Upon assuming the papacy, Prevost chose the name Leo XIV in homage to Pope Leo XIII who led the Church from 1878 to 1903. Leo XIII was known for his focus on social justice, labor rights, and economic fairness.
Vatican analysts say the name choice is symbolic, signaling a desire to continue Pope Francis’s legacy on social and structural reforms. The historic election marks a new chapter for the Catholic Church, placing an American figure at its helm for the first time in two millennia.
(Raidi/Agung)
