US Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost Elected Pope Leo XIV

US Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the new Pope. This was announced by the Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, Dominique Mamberti, on Thursday evening with the words “Habemus papam” (“We have a Pope”) on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The new pope chose the name Leo XIV.

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Shortly after the announcement, the new Pope himself stepped onto the balcony and gave a short speech in which he called for peace for “all peoples” and for “building bridges” through “dialog”. He then gave the blessing Urbi et orbi (to the city and the world) for the first time. Prevost, who comes from Chicago, is 69 years old and worked as a missionary in Peru for many years. He is the first pope in church history to come from the USA and was a close confidant of Pope Francis, who came from Argentina and died on Easter Monday.

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Thousands of faithful and onlookers gathered in St. Peter's Square to watch the papal election and the first appearance of the new pope. The conclave to elect Francis' successor began on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday evening, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel as a sign that the 133 cardinals eligible to vote were able to agree on the 267th pope in church history with the necessary two-thirds majority.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has congratulated the new Pope Leo XIV on his election. “I warmly congratulate you on your election as head of the Catholic Church,” said Merz on Thursday. For many people, the Pope is “an anchor for justice and reconciliation.” Merz wished the Pope “much strength, health and God's blessing”. According to the Federal Chancellor, people in Germany are looking forward to the pontificate of Leo XIV “with confidence and positive expectation”.

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Earlier, the cardinals gathered in the Vatican had elected a successor to the late Pope Francis. The Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, Dominique Mamberti, announced that the US Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost had been elected Pope and had chosen the name Leo XIV.