A Surprise from the White Smoke: Who Is the New Pope of the Catholic Church?

08 May 2025, 3:09 PM

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البابا الجديد للكنيسة الكاثوليكية روبرت بريفوست — Frayjhonattan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In an unprecedented historic event, the Vatican announced today the election of American Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new Pope of the Catholic Church, succeeding the late Pope Francis. With this, Prevost becomes the 267th pope and the first American ever to hold the position since the foundation of the Vatican. The newly elected pope chose the papal name Leo XIV.

White Smoke from the Sistine Chapel

The announcement followed several days of intense deliberations held by the College of Cardinals in the iconic Sistine Chapel. As per Catholic tradition, the election was confirmed once white smoke billowed from the chapel’s chimney—signaling that a candidate had secured the required majority of votes, which is at least 89 out of 133 eligible cardinals.

Simultaneously, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang joyfully as thousands of faithful Christians gathered in the Vatican square, eagerly awaiting the new pope’s first public address.

Inside the Conclave: The Election Process

The voting began on Wednesday after the Latin call “Extra Omnes” (“Everyone out”)—marking the start of the secret conclave. According to Vatican law, only cardinals under the age of 80 were allowed to participate. This year’s conclave saw broader geographical diversity and a relatively reduced European presence compared to previous elections, which increased the likelihood of a pope from outside Europe.

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Who Is Pope Leo XIV?

Robert Prevost was born in 1955 in Chicago, USA. He joined the Order of St. Augustine in 1977 and took his solemn vows in 1981. He holds a degree in mathematics from Villanova University and pursued theological studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago before earning both licentiate and doctorate degrees in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

Fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese—and proficient in Latin and German—Prevost served for years as a missionary in Peru, where he held several key positions including religious superior, formation director, and professor of canon law. In 2001, he was elected Prior General of the Augustinian Order and re-elected for a second term.

He was made a cardinal on September 30, 2023, and on February 6, 2025, was elevated to Cardinal Bishop and assigned to the Diocese of Albano near Rome.

In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the highest Vatican body responsible for the appointment of bishops worldwide, granting him a central role in the global governance of the Catholic Church. He also serves as President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, which oversees the Church’s affairs in a region home to nearly 40% of the world’s Catholic population.

The First Words of the New Pope

In his first public appearance as Pope Leo XIV, he stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and addressed the crowd gathered in the square with a warm: “Peace be upon you all.” He then delivered a brief but powerful message calling for “building bridges through dialogue” and urged the faithful to “move forward without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other.”

Trump Among First to Congratulate: What Did He Say?

Shortly after the historic announcement, former U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Pope Leo XIV in a post on his Truth Social platform. He expressed his eagerness to meet the newly elected pope, describing the moment as “a tremendous honor” for the United States. In his short message, Trump added: “It is a great privilege for our country to witness the election of the first American pope.”