Pope live updates: Leo XIV, becomes first North American to lead the Catholic Church

To the rest of the world, Robert Prevost will now be known as Pope Leo XIV. But to his cousin, he’s still Rob — a kind, humble man who loves playing Words With Friends, a game similar to Scrabble. (The last game they played against each other was six hours before the conclave).

“I was just about to lose so I could start a new game, so that maybe, before he became pope, I could beat him,” said Joan Francis Plum, 64. “No such luck.”

The largest support group for victims sexually assaulted by priests filed a complaint on March 25 with the Vatican about Cardinal Robert Prevost, accusing him of covering up his priests’ sex abuse. Forty-four days later, Prevost became Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead the Catholic Church.

Shaun Dougherty, board president of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, was sitting in his hotel in Rome on Thursday when Leo emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

As Chicago celebrated one of its own becoming pope, one question loomed larger than doctrine: Cubs or White Sox?

Wrigley Field wasted no time claiming Pope Leo XIV. “HEY, CHICAGO, HE’S A CUBS FAN!” its iconic marquee read Thursday.

But the pope’s brother, John Prevost, threw a curveball.

“He was never, ever a Cubs fan,” John Prevost told Chicago-based TV station WGN. “So I don’t know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan.”

If it’s any consolation to Cubs faithful, their mother cheered for the North Siders, Prevost said. Their father was a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

Pope Francis’s decision in 2013 to wear simple white garments when he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica was huge Catholic news — and somewhat divisive, as traditionalists felt he was downsizing the prominence and history of the papacy. Fans adored it, seeing instead modesty and humility.

As Vatican watchers look to gauge the priorities of Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Lawrence Sullivan, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago, said he expects the new pontiff to be a mix of the late Pope Francis and an approach all his own.

“I think Pope Francis was certainly someone who cared for those who were living on the fringes who could easily be forgotten. And I strongly suspect that Pope Leo XIV will do the same thing,” Sullivan said. “He will give voice to the voiceless.”

In a statement, Hamas extended “its warmest congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on his election as head of the Catholic Church.” The group urged Leo to continue his predecessor’s support for the oppressed and “rejection of the genocide in Gaza.”

Pope Leo XIV belongs to the centuries-old Order of St. Augustine, a religious order guided by the ethos of fifth-century theologian Saint Augustine.

“I am a son of Saint Augustine, an Augustinian,” the pontiff said from a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square in his first address. “He said, ‘With you I am a Christian, for you a bishop.’ So may we all walk together toward that homeland that God has prepared for us.”

CHICAGO — Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was not on the Rev. Gregory Sakowicz’s shortlist of likely papal picks.

A parishioner at Holy Name Cathedral divulged the news to Sakowicz, the rector, during Communion at midday Mass. Sakowicz told reporters inside the church Thursday that the parishioner caught his eye and whispered to him, “It’s Cardinal Robert Prevost!”

“When he was named, at that moment I looked outside; here in Chicago, the sun came out,” Sakowicz said.

While the new pope was born and grew up in the United States, many Latin Americans quickly claimed him as their own.

“Prevost has the profile of an American. But I dare say he’s got a Latin American heart,” the Rev. Hernán Quezada, who trains Jesuits in Latin America and the Caribbean, told Mexican radio program “Aristegui Noticias.” “I think he is a bridge between the north and south — an American, but with a missionary background.”

The Rev. Giancarlos Candanedo, a Panamanian priest, agreed.

The new pope, Leo XIV, spent two decades working in Peru’s poorest enclave and appears to be in the mold of Pope Francis, whose legacy was as “the People’s Pope” for his outreach to those on society’s margins.

Pope Leo XIV’s expressed views on the role of women in the Catholic Church appear closely aligned with those of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

CHICAGO — A midday Mass was underway at Holy Name Cathedral, the seat of the Chicago Archdiocese, as celebratory bells tolled outside.

The election of an American pope was a pleasant surprise to many who gathered outside the cathedral to celebrate. Frankie Salinas, 48, was in his downtown home watching the news when the announcement came.

“I noticed the sun came out when the white smoke emerged,” he said.

The lifelong Catholic canceled a scheduled golf outing to head to Holy Name.

Whether a Catholic prelate’s view can be described as progressive or traditional depends entirely on the issue at hand, cautions one expert.

John McGreevy, a historian of Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame, said he thought new pope Robert Prevost’s choice of name, Leo XIV, and the fact that he was a math major are significant. Pope Leo XIII — the best known Pope Leo — was focused on the reconciliation of religion and science.

When the first American pope stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he spoke not in his native English but in Italian — the working language of the Vatican.

After greeting the crowd, he shifted briefly into Spanish. “To my dearest beloved diocese in Peru,” Pope Leo XIV said, honoring the faithful who had accompanied him during his years as a missionary and bishop in the country.

Many Vatican experts thought it highly unlikely that the College of Cardinals would choose an American pope, given the United States’ global influence — both economically and culturally.

But after Pope Francis’s death, Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was still highlighted as a possible American contender. The 69-year-old pope also holds citizenship in Peru and spent many years of his clerical life abroad.

JD Vance’s well wishes to Pope Leo XIV marked a high note in months of off-and-on entanglement between the Vatican and the vice president, who has been outspoken about his conversion to Catholicism six years ago and the centrality the church now plays in his life.

Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, congratulated American cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, for his election as the first American pope on Thursday.

“I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church,” Vance wrote on X. “May God bless him!”

By choosing the name Leo, the 267th pope is joining a group of 13 other pontiffs who have taken the name.

The last Leo before him, Pope Leo XIII, became pontiff in 1878 and chose the name in memory of Leo XII, whom he said he admired in part for his interest in education and conciliation toward governments.

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Catholics Vote Common Good, an American progressive Catholic activism group, welcomed Pope Leo XIV as one of their own and declared it a “new day for modern American Catholicism.”

“Today the conclave gave us something we could have only dreamed of, a Common Good pope who is as committed to social justice as we are — and as was our beloved Pope Francis,” wrote Denise Murphy McGraw, the group’s national co-chair.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California), who is Catholic, said Pope Leo XIV “happily brings to mind” a 19th century pope with the same chosen name, Leo XIII, and a papal letter he wrote about the conditions of the working class, titled “Rerum novarum.” She praised the new pope’s vision of a church that is open to all.

“Let us thank God for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and for this vision of unity,” she said in a statement.

In his first public words as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV declared to thousands cheering in St. Peter’s Square and more than a billion Catholics around the world: “Peace be with you all.”

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) urged Pope Leo XIV to confront the church’s sexual abuse crisis. Citing alleged past failures to act against accused priests in Chicago and Peru, SNAP called for sweeping reforms, including a “Global Truth Commission” and a “Universal Zero Tolerance Law.”

“You can end the abuse crisis — the only question is, will you?” the group wrote.

The new pope, Leo XIV, is viewed as close to Pope Francis. Leo — known before Thursday as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost — was appointed to many important roles by the last pontiff, though his views on some issues that were close to Francis are not entirely clear.

Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokesperson, read out a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the daily briefing Thursday.

“The papacy carries a sacred and solemn responsibility,” the statement read. “May the Holy Spirit impart wisdom, strength and grace as he shepherds the church. The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See, with the first American pontiff.”

John McGreevy struggled at first to find the words to express his amazement. “Unbelievable,” said the prominent historian of Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame. “This is stuff you wouldn’t have ever thought would happen. An American pope. Amazing.”

While Prevost is an American, “he’s also obviously a pope of the Global South,” McGreevy said, thanks to his many years in Latin America. Still, for U.S. Catholics, there “will be enormous pride,” he said. In terms of important days in the history of the U.S. Catholic church, “this is number one.

Zsofia and Miklos Biro had just wandered into St. Peter’s Square during a visit to see friends in Rome. They decided with their two small children to stick around — and about 30 minutes later, white smoke began pouring out of the chimney.

Zsofia, who is Catholic, said that Pope Francis was “the best thing to happen to the Catholic Church” and that she hoped the next pontiff would carry on his legacy.

Moments before Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the balcony, Sarah Jackson of North Carolina stared at St. Peter’s Basilica with her husband, daughter and son, who is in seminary in Rome.

As Catholics who attend the Latin Mass — a version Pope Francis severely restricted, saying the passion for an ancient way of prayer was hurting church unity — Jackson said a traditional outlook was their major hope for the next pope.

In St. Peter’s Square, Betty D’Eletto, 65, squealed and hugged herself as she laughed with glee. An American who lived in New York until she moved to Italy as a teenager, she was ecstatic.

“God bless America! God bless America!” she yelled into her phone as the sound of the new pope and the crowd thundered around her.

“I was hoping it would be an American!” said D’Eletto, who works at stores within the Vatican. “People were like: ‘You’re crazy!’”

In a remarkable moment, Prevost, who had dedicated many years to serving the church in Peru, issued a greeting in Spanish, and a shout-out to his former diocese in Chiclayo, Peru.

President Donald Trump congratulated the new American pope in a statement on Truth Social on Thursday.

“It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope,” 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!”

“We can be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges, that is always open to receive everyone — just like in this square, to welcome everyone, in charity, dialogue and love,” Pope Leo XIV said.

Pope Leo XIV sought to continue the blessing the late Pope Francis gave on Easter Sunday, the day before he died.

“Allow me to continue that same blessing: God loves everyone; evil will not prevail,” the new pontiff said. “We are all in the hands of God. So without fear, united hand and hand with God and among ourselves, we go forward.”

Leo XIV read his first address in Italian, starting with, “Peace be with you all.”

The new pope — cardinal Robert Prevost, henceforth to be known as Leo XIV — choked back tears as he walked out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time.

Popes have been selecting papal names for centuries, often drawing on those of previous pontiffs they would like to emulate. Since Pope John XII, there have been 12 Innocents (the first Pope Innocent held the papacy from 401 to 417), seven Urbans (the first Pope Urban reigned from 222 to 230) and six Leos (there were seven other Leos before choosing a new name became the standard practice).

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The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, wearing a sash with the colors of the Italian flag, joined the masses in St. Peter’s Square to welcome the new pope. As is traditional, the new pontiff will also serve as the bishop of Rome.

Habemus papam! That is, we have a pope.

The Latin phrase, pronounced from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica by a senior cardinal, precedes the moment at which the newly elected pope steps out onto the balcony to give his first papal address.

The proclamation begins with the phrase “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam,” which translates to “I announce to you with great joy; we have a pope.”

The basic garments that the incoming pope may choose are a white cassock, a red or white mozzetta and a skullcap or zucchetto. The pope may also carry a ferula, a staff with a cross or a crucifix at its end.

The conclave lasted one day and 24 minutes, give or take a few seconds, measured from when the doors to the Sistine Chapel closed at 5:44 p.m. Wednesday to when the white smoke appeared at 6:08 p.m. the next day.

The crowd in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday evening was even larger than the previous night, when Vatican News reported that 45,000 people were in and around the square. People waved the flags of Mexico, Britain, Peru and the United States. Women religious, seminarians and priests spoke emotionally to TV cameras. “Viva il papa!” the crowd chanted.

Several of the cardinal non-electors, who are over age 80, smiled as they milled around the front of St. Peter’s Square. The group included Cardinal Donald William Wuerl, the former archbishop of Washington.

Each pope decides which papal garments to wear for his first appearance. Francis wore only white garments to the balcony while Benedict wore a red mozzetta and a red and gold stole.

In St. Peter’s Square, the Rev. Edward Hauschild, a moral-theology student in Rome, told reporters that the pope is truly the father of the Catholic Church.

“We rely on him to teach us, we rely on him to guide us, and we so much rely on him to love us and to see us as his children as much as we see him as our father,” he said.

The pontifical band, dressed in blue, has marched into St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, followed by a troop of the Swiss Guard in their high feathered hats and yellow, blue and red uniforms.

Every pope in the past century was elected in four or fewer days, and most were chosen in just two days. The white smoke Thursday meant that the newest pontiff was selected on the same timeline as the previous two popes, Francis and Benedict XVI.

A lengthy deliberation could be read as a sign of a divided conclave. The last time a conclave went to five days was more than a century ago, in 1922.

White smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney means that a new pope has been elected. But there are still some logistical hurdles to clear before the next pontiff is revealed to the world.

First, the cardinal elected pope must accept the role. Notably, in the August 1978 conclave, Pope John Paul I accepted the honor but told the assembled cardinals: “May God forgive you for what you have done.” He died in September, just over a month after his ascension to the papacy.

Church bells rang and crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square cheered as white smoke billowed over the Vatican on Thursday evening, announcing that the conclave had elected a new pope.

The attention of the world is focused on a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel — and the color of any smoke it emits during the conclave.

Black smoke appeared from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel just before noon local time, signifying that the first two votes of the day ended without a winner. Two more votes are scheduled for Thursday.

The third vote should come around 5:30 p.m. local time, and smoke will appear only if it results in a selection. The final vote of the day should be around 7 p.m. local time and would result in smoke regardless — white for a new pope, black otherwise.

Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church shut the doors of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on Wednesday and have begun the process of selecting the successor to Pope Francis. It is the largest conclave in the history of the faith and also one of the most unpredictable.

Only members of the College of Cardinals who are under 80 may vote. Theoretically, they may pick any baptized man, although the next pope will surely come from among the princes of the church: its cardinals.

This is an excerpt from a full story.

Starting Wednesday, 133 cardinals began voting with secret ballots, many having traveled to the Vatican from around the world. Most of them will stay in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a five-story guesthouse built in 1996 to house church officials.

The last time a papal conclave convened, in 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was a 25-to-1 long shot. If you were a gambler, they’re odds few would take. A far safer bet would have been Cardinal Angelo Scola, then the archbishop of Milan, at 2-to-1, or Peter Turkson from Ghana at 5-to-2.

But just two days and five ballots later, as white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the world would meet Pope Francis.

This is an excerpt from a full story.