The Cardinals gathered in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel have elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Pope, who took the name Pope Leo XIV.
Robert Prevost has been elected the first North American pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
After he was unveiled as the new leader of the Catholic Church, he spoke to huge crowds from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Robert Prevost has been elected the first North American pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
After he was unveiled as the new leader of the Catholic Church, he spoke to huge crowds from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
“Peace be with all of you’”, were his first words.
White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel shortly before 5pm on Thursday signaling a new pope had been elected.
Cardinals chose their new leavening the fourth round of voting in the conclave after two inconclusive votes earlier on Thursday and one on Wednesday.
A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries were involved in the secret ballot, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave in 2013.
It follows the death of Pope Francis, 88, on April 21.
Follow the latest updates below….
‘Such an honor’: Donald Trump congratulates Pope Leo XIV
19:02 , Matt Watts
US President Donald Trump described an American becoming pope as “such an honor” for his country.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Mr. Trump said: “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!
18:53
Cardinal Robert Prevost, whose papal name will be Pope Leo XIV, has become the first North American pope.
Cardinal Prevost, 69, who was born in Chicago, spent years in Peru, first as a missionary and then an archbishop.
He is seen as a reformer in the mould of Pope Francis, who sent Cardinal Prevost to run the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014.
Cardinal Prevost liked the country so much that he acquired Peruvian citizenship in 2015.
He ran that diocese until 2023, when Francis brought him to Rome to be head of the Vatican’s powerful Dicastery for Bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for senior clergy around the world.
Prevost was also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, a job that kept him in regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in a region of the world that still counts the most Catholics.
A Vatican insider told the Telegraph: “He was not one of the obvious candidates, but he knows everybody, he spent 30 years as a missionary, he has languages.
“His time in Peru means he is one of the least ‘American’ of the American cardinals. But he understands America and he can speak to the country, which is important in the Trump era.”
(AP)
‘Peace be with all of you’: Pope Leo XIV says his first public words
18:35 , Matt Watts
Peace be with all you,” Pope Leo XIV said from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, in his first public words.
In his speech to the crowd below he recalled he was an Augustinian priest, but that he was above all a Christian above all and a bishop, “So we can all walk together.”
He spoke in Italian and then switched to Spanish, recalling his many years spent as a missionary and then archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
(AP)
Pope Leo XIV: Robert Prevost has been elected the first American pope
18:24 , Matt Watts
Robert Prevost has been elected the first American pope in history and will be known as Pope Leo XIV and has just appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
New pope being announced now
18:14 , Matt Watts
The new pope is now being announced from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
Speed of choice is a sign of church unity, Vatican says
18:11 , Matt Watts
Cardinals taking only four rounds of voting is “a clear sign of the unity of the Church,” a cardinal has told the BBC.
Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi was speaking in the Vatican press office.
The new pope was picked even faster than his predecessor Francis.
Donald Trump reacts: ‘I saw the smoke but I haven’t seen the pope’
18:06 , Matt Watts
President Donald Trump was asked about the white smoke signaling that a new pope had been chosen. He offered little immediate reaction.
“I saw the smoke but I haven’t seen the pope,” Trump told reporters on his way out of a White House event with military mothers.
Band appears alongside Swiss Guard after pope chosen
17:54
A marching band began to play while walking through the cheering crowds at the Vatican following the news a new pope has been chosen.
Walking alongside them was the Swiss Guards, dressed in their blue and yellow striped uniform.
People in the crowd applauded and held up phones to capture the sight.
(AP)
In pictures: Celebratory scenes as crowds cheer ‘Long live the Pope!’
17:37
A joyous crowd in St. Peter’s Square cheered and applauded as the first puffs of smoke emerged from a small chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals have been holding their secret ballot.
“Long Live the Pope!” the crowds cheered in bright sunshine. “We have a pope!” said one sign held aloft.
(Getty Images)
“Peace be with all of you’”, were his first words.
White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel shortly before 5pm on Thursday signaling a new pope had been elected.
Cardinals chose their new leavening the fourth round of voting in the conclave after two inconclusive votes earlier on Thursday and one on Wednesday.
A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries were involved in the secret ballot, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave in 2013.
It follows the death of Pope Francis, 88, on April 21.
Follow the latest updates below….
‘Such an honor’: Donald Trump congratulates Pope Leo XIV
19:02 , Matt Watts
US President Donald Trump described an American becoming pope as “such an honor” for his country.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said: “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!
18:53
Cardinal Robert Prevost, whose papal name will be Pope Leo XIV, has become the first North American pope.
Cardinal Prevost, 69, who was born in Chicago, spent years in Peru, first as a missionary and then an archbishop.
He is seen as a reformer in the mould of Pope Francis, who sent Cardinal Prevost to run the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014.
Cardinal Prevost liked the country so much that he acquired Peruvian citizenship in 2015.
He ran that diocese until 2023, when Francis brought him to Rome to be head of the Vatican’s powerful Dicastery for Bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for senior clergy around the world.
Prevost was also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, a job that kept him in regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in a region of the world that still counts the most Catholics.
A Vatican insider told the Telegraph: “He was not one of the obvious candidates, but he knows everybody, he spent 30 years as a missionary, he has languages.
“His time in Peru means he is one of the least ‘American’ of the American cardinals. But he understands America and he can speak to the country, which is important in the Trump era.”
(AP)
‘Peace be with all of you’: Pope Leo XIV says his first public words
18:35 , Matt Watts
Peace be with all you,” Pope Leo XIV said from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, in his first public words.
In his speech to the crowd below he recalled he was an Augustinian priest, but that he was above all a Christian above all and a bishop, “So we can all walk together.”
He spoke in Italian and then switched to Spanish, recalling his many years spent as a missionary and then archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
(AP)
Pope Leo XIV: Robert Prevost has been elected the first American pope
18:24 , Matt Watts
Robert Prevost has been elected the first American pope in history and will be known as Pope Leo XIV and has just appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
New pope being announced now
18:14 , Matt Watts
The new pope is now being announced from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
Speed of choice is a sign of church unity, Vatican says
18:11 , Matt Watts
Cardinals taking only four rounds of voting is “a clear sign of the unity of the Church,” a cardinal has told the BBC.
Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi was speaking in the Vatican press office.
The new pope was picked even faster than his predecessor Francis.
Donald Trump reacts: ‘I saw the smoke but I haven’t seen the pope’
18:06 , Matt Watts
President Donald Trump was asked about the white smoke signaling that a new pope had been chosen. He offered little immediate reaction.
“I saw the smoke but I haven’t seen the pope,” Trump told reporters on his way out of a White House event with military mothers.
Band appears alongside Swiss Guard after pope chosen
17:54
A marching band began to play while walking through the cheering crowds at the Vatican folloowing the news a new pope has been chosen.
Walking alongside them was the Swiss Guards, dressed in their blue and yellow striped uniform.
People in the crowd applauded and held up phones to capture the sight.
(AP)
In pictures: Celebratory scenes as crowds cheer ‘Long live the Pope!’
17:37
A joyous crowd in St. Peter’s Square cheered and applauded as the first puffs of smoke emerged from a small chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals have been holding their secret ballot.
“Long Live the Pope!” the crowds cheered in bright sunshine. “We have a pope!” said one sign held aloft.
(Getty Images)