The 267th Catholic pope has been elected to take the helm as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church, succeeding Pope Francis, who recently passed on. The former U.S. Cardinal, Robert Prevost, has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.

Pope Leo appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he gave his first speech, after white smoke billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signifying the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the Roman Catholic Church.

The 69-year-old Pope Leo XIV, who was born in Chicago, previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023 and was made a cardinal in 2023. He was also promoted to cardinal-bishop and assigned to serve in the Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano in Rome.