Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from the United States has been chosen as the new pope after a 24-hour closed-door election held at the Vatican.
The announcement came late Thursday when white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the cardinals had selected a new leader for the Catholic Church.
He will now be known as Pope Leone XIV, the first American to hold the role in the Church’s long history.
The 69-year-old, who once worked as a missionary in Peru, replaces Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 last month after more than ten years of leading the global Catholic community.
Prevost brings with him years of experience, both in pastoral work and Church leadership.
Before this new appointment, he was in charge of the Vatican office that helps select bishops worldwide.
Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost grew up in a religious home.
His mother, of Spanish origin, and his father, a French-Italian catechist, raised him in a faith-filled environment.
He was actively involved in church activities from childhood and later chose the Augustinian path instead of becoming a diocesan priest.
He studied canon law in Rome and became a priest in 1982.
Soon after, he was sent to Peru, where he spent a decade working in various roles, including teaching and helping lead local religious communities.
His connection to Peru grew so deep that he became a citizen of the country.
He returned to the United States in 1999 to serve as the provincial leader of the Augustinians in the Midwest.
During his time there, a decision he made regarding a priest accused of abuse drew criticism years later.
By 2001, he had been elected head of the global Augustinian order.
He served in that capacity for twelve years before Pope Francis asked him to lead the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru in 2014.
A year later, he became bishop of the same diocese, managing both large cities and rural areas.
