Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the head of the Catholic Church on the second day of voting in the Vatican, the first US national ever to take the role.
Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago but spent much of his life outside the US, mostly in Peru and Rome.
He is believed to be a good potential interlocutor with Donald Trump, but may clash with him on migration policies. He has chosen the name of Leo XIV.
The new pope was chosen during the conclave, a closely guarded process where 133 cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel to pick the next pontiff.
Message of peace and unity from new pope
In his first comments in Italian, Pope Leo XIV says he wants this message of peace to “enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are.”
Paying tribute to Pope Francis, he urges faithful to “move forward, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other.”
He also thanks fellow cardinals for choosing him for the role.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
