Robert Francis Prevost elected as Pope Leo XIV

Correction — September 28, 2025

The article does not comply with our sourcing policy. It incorrectly states Pope Leo XIV is "the first pope from Peru." He was born in Chicago; while he holds Peruvian citizenship, he is not from Peru. It also states he is "the first pope to hold dual citizenship." He does hold dual citizenship, but none of the cited sources confirm he is the first, and no reliable source could be found to support that claim. The article further fails to comply with our neutrality policy.

Thursday, May 8, 2025

At 18:07 CEST (16:07 UTC) on May 8, 2025, white smoke came out from the Sistine Chapel's smokestack at Vatican City, signaling a new pope was selected. Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti announced Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th Pope. He has taken the name of Pope Leo XIV. Prevost's name previously appeared as one of the papabili, the "front-runners" of the Pope. His openness and support to the late Pope Francis, especially for his commitment to social justice issues sparked some interest from his peers.

Pope Leo XIV became the second Pope from the Americas, and the first Pope from North America, specifically. He is also the first Pope from Peru and the first pope to hold dual citizenship. He was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He has served as the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru from 2015 to 2023. Since 2023, he has been taking place as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops at the Vatican, which means that he has been in charge in selecting priests and vetting nominations of bishops around the world. He has been appointed as cardinal since 2024 by the late Pope Francis. On February 6, 2025, the late Pope Francis promoted him to the Order of Bishops, which granted him the title of the Suburbicarian Church of Albano.

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Sources

Paul Kirby, Ione Wells. Who is Robert Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV? — BBC, May 9, 2025
Joshua McElwee, Crispian Balmer and Philip Pullella. Prevost surprises as first US pope, takes name Leo XIV — Reuters, May 9, 2025
Meredith Deliso and Megan Forrester. What we know about Leo XIV, the new American pope — ABC News, May 9, 2025
Leo XIV is the new Pope — Vatican News, May 8, 2025 (Video)
Which cardinals are seen as contenders to be the next pope? — Associated Press, April 22, 2025

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