The white smoke is out! American Cardinal Robert Prevost has officially been elected pope—the first American to ever lead the Catholic Church.
Taking the papal name Leo XIV, Prevost was elected with at least 89 out of 133 votes from the College of Cardinals. The white smoke rose over Rome at 6:07 PM, signaling the historic decision.
In his first words as pope, Pope Leo XIV said, “Peace be with you,” addressing the crowd in Italian before switching to Spanish.