In a milestone moment for the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been chosen as the 267th pope.
The news was announced Thursday from St. Peter’s Square, where white smoke announced the decision of the conclave. Prevost, age 69, a native of Chicago, Illinois, is the first American to preside over the worldwide Catholic community.
Assuming the title Pope Leo XIV, he now assumes the position of spiritual head for more than 1.4 billion Catholics across the globe.
A veteran cardinal officially announced his election to the jubilant crowds outside St. Peter’s Basilica, ushering in a new era in Church history.
