Leo XIV Is the New Pope

Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the first American pope in history, emerging as a surprise choice on the second day of the conclave, the secretive election held inside the Sistine Chapel.

The Chicago-born cardinal, widely regarded as a progressive in the mould of his predecessor Pope Francis, has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.

Despite receiving congratulations from Donald Trump, he may prove to be a thorn in the side of the US administration.

In February, the then Cardinal Prevost appeared to be critical of JD Vance when the Vice-President cited medieval Catholic theology to justify the Trump government’s immigration crackdown.

Vance invoked a concept called “ordo amoris”, saying it was only right that people should prioritise their families, neighbours and communities over “a stranger who lives thousands of miles away”.

On social media platform X, Cardinal Prevost reposted a story by the National Catholic Reporter headlined: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”

In another retweet, he appeared to question the Trump administration’s “illicit deportation” of a US resident of Salvadoran background.

The 69-year-old, who is described as discreet and reserved by his peers, spent more than two decades in Peru as a missionary and even took Peruvian citizenship.

He was only made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023.

But he may be seen as an astute pick by the 133 cardinals who were sequestered inside the Sistine Chapel, and could act as a moral bulwark against the Trump administration.

Appearing on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in front of a huge crowd, Pope Leo XIV declared: “Peace be with all of you” in his first words as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

“Humanity needs Christ as a bridge to be reached by God and his love. Help us, and help each other, build bridges,” he told the rapturous crowd.

Speaking in Italian, he told the huge crowd: “We can all walk together towards that homeland God has prepared for us.” He then switched languages to Spanish to thank his former diocese in Peru.

His election as supreme pontiff came towards the end of the second day of the conclave, with white smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 6.07pm local time, signalling that the cardinals had made their choice for the 267th pope.

He was elected after four rounds of secret voting by the 133 cardinals eligible to cast a ballot.

He needed at least 89 votes – two-thirds of the conclave – to succeed.

As the white smoke poured from the chimney, thousands of people started running towards St Peter’s Square in anticipation of seeing the new pope.

Some vaulted metal barriers, others led their children, while priests helped the infirm and the elderly hurry up Via della Conciliazione, the broad avenue that leads from the River Tiber towards the Vatican. The crowds cheered and clapped as the great bells of St Peter’s Basilica tolled.

The choice of the new Pope caught Vatican-watchers off guard because he had not been among the front runners.

Thomas Reese, an American Jesuit priest, analyst and the author of Inside the Vatican, told The Telegraph: “It’s a big surprise. It shows that the Latin American cardinals were united behind him and pushed his election as pope.

“They see him as one of their own because he was a priest and a bishop in Latin America and spent many, many years there. He is not just an American, he is a pope for all of the Americas. He is known as being pastoral, being good at listening. I think he will be in continuity with Pope Francis.”

A Vatican insider said: “He was not one of the obvious candidates, but he knows everybody, he spent years as a missionary, he has languages. His time in Peru means he is one of the least ‘American’ of the American cardinals. But he understands America and he can speak to the country, which is important in the Trump era.”

However, as with so many Catholic cardinals, there is a black mark against the new Pope for his record on dealing with priests accused of sexual abuse.

In his home city of Chicago, campaigners allege that he failed to warn a Catholic elementary school that a priest who Church leaders determined had abused young boys was living in a nearby monastery.

And one woman in his diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, who said she and two other women were sexually abused by two priests as girls, accused him of mishandling an investigation into the case.

The diocese of Chiclayo said that the cardinal did open an investigation, but it was then closed on the orders of the Vatican.

“Victims have claimed that he failed to open an investigation, sent inadequate information to Rome, and that the diocese allowed the priest to continue saying Mass after their complaint,” said the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a campaign group.

SNAP called for the new pope to take concrete action on preventing clergy sex abuse, from establishing a universal zero tolerance law for the Catholic Church to setting up a reparations fund for abuse survivors.

Congratulations from world leaders

World leaders sent their congratulations for his election.

President Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Mr Trump earned widespread condemnation from Catholics for recently posting an AI image of himself dressed in papal regalia and joking about “running for pope”.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, said he hoped for the Pope’s “continued support” against Russian aggression.

“Ukraine deeply values the Holy See’s consistent position in upholding international law, condemning the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians,” he said.

“At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine’s efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace.”

Sir Keir Starmer hailed the election of Pope Leo XIV as a “deeply profound moment of joy for Catholics” around the world.

“As Pope Francis’s papacy showed, the Holy See has a special role to play in bringing people and nations together to address the major issues of our time; especially on climate change, alleviating poverty and promoting peace and justice across the world,” the Prime Minister said.

“I look forward to meeting the Holy Father and continuing to work closely with the Catholic Church here in the UK and internationally to advance our shared values and the common good.”