Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost, is the first American pope

2025-05-08T18: 48: 23z

On May 8, 133 cardinals elected a new pope.
Cardinal Robert Prevost will be known as Pape Leo XIV.
Originally from Chicago, he is the first pope in the United States.

On May 8, white smoke came out of the sixtine chapel chimney, indicating that the Cardinals college had elected a new Pope.

Cardinal Robert Prevost, from Chicago, was then presented as Pope Leo XIV.

He is the first pope in the United States and the 267th Pope as a whole.

Here’s what you need to know about Pope Leo XIV.

Robert Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955.

American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost attended Pope Francis funeral in 2025.

Franco Orignia / Getty Images

He is 69 years old and grew up in Chicago. He is also a citizen of Peru, where he was archbishop of Chiclayo. He was 27 years old when he was ordered in 1982, the New York Times reported.

The new pope has a doctorate and is multilingual.

Pope Leo XIV in green and large white hat holding his hands together — Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost, celebrated a mass in 2025.

Franco Orignia / Getty Images

He studied at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago and obtained his doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in 1987.

Pope Leo XIV speaks English, Spanish and Italian.

Pope Francis appointed it to an important position.

Pope Francis and Cardinal Robert Francis smile together — Pope Francis and Cardinal Robert Francis planned in 2023.

Vatican Media via the Vatican Pool / Getty Images

In 2023, the former pope appointed Cardinal Prevost to be in charge of the Vatican office which oversees the appointments of bishops around the world, the AP reported.

A group of 133 cardinals elected it.

Cardinals from the Catholic Church to the electoral conclave in 2005 in the Vatican, Vatican City. — Cardinals from the Catholic Church to the Papal conclave in 2005.

Arturo Mari – Vatican Pool / Getty Images

The process is known as the conclave. It took two days and four voting cycles for the cardinals to agree on a new pope, by the AP.

The new pope gave his first message.

Pope Leo XIV stands in front of a red curtain — Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost, is addressed to the crowd of the Balcony of the Saint-Pierre Basilica in 2025.

Tiziana Fabi / AFP via Getty Images

Speaking of St. Peter’s Balcony, Pope Leo XIV said: “Peace be with you all” in his first words in his new role.

Some believe that the new Pope will continue his long commitment to help the poor.

“My experience as Cardinal Prevost was that he is not a showboat,” said Father Mark R. Francis, who worked with Pope Leo in the past, recently. “It is very calm, but extremely intelligent and extremely compassionate.”

businessinsider