US Cardinal Prevost to lead Catholic Church as Pope Leo XIV

The iconic Empire State Building in New York City was lit up in white and gold in honor of Pope Leo XIV on Thursday.

The Chicago-born pontiff, who was elected earlier in the day, is the first pope to have been born in the United States and the first ever leader of the Catholic Church from North America.

In celebration, the famous 380-meter (1,246-foot) Manhattan skyscraper was illuminated in the colors of the Vatican.

The Empire State Building also shone in gold and white to honor Pope Francis following his death on Easter Monday.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte welcomed the "historic" election of Pope Leo XIV, a Peruvian "by choice and conviction" who has served the country for more than 20 years.

Pope Leo XIV is a dual citizen of the United States and, since 2015, of Peru, where he served first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.

Writing on Facebook, Boluarte said the 69-year-old Prevost "chose to be one of us, to live among us and to carry in his heart the faith, culture and dreams of this country."

"In our lands, he sowed hope, walking alongside those most in need," she added.

Leo, standing on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica for the first time as pope, addressed in Spanish the people of the Peruvian city of Chiclayo, he served as the administrator and later archbishop.

"Greetings... to all of you, and in particular, to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith," he said.

The day after his election as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate a mass for cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican has announced.

The mass will be held at 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) on Friday.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV will hold an audience with the world's media on Monday morning, the Vatican press office added.

Among the popes named Leo, Pope Leo I, also known as Leo the Great, is probably the most famous. He was Bishop of Rome from A.D. 440 until his death in 461.

He is the first of the three popes listed in the Annuario Pontificio with the title "the Great," along with Popes Gregory I and Nicholas I.

Leo I is remembered theologically for issuing the Tome of Leo, a document that was an important basis for the debates at the Council of Chalcedon, the Fourth Ecumenical Council.

He also met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy.

Saint Leo III, who was pope from 795 to 816, is famous for coronating Charlemagne as emperor in 800.

With this act, Leo revived the Western Roman Empire and set a precedent for the crowning of emperors that would be followed by subsequent popes throughout the reign of the Holy Roman Empire.

Leo X, the son of ruler of the Florentine Republic, Lorenzo de' Medici, was one of the leading popes of the Renaissance, and reigned from 1513 until his death in 1521.

He made Rome a cultural center and political power, but also depleted the papal treasury and failed to stem the Reformation.

Leo X is also known for the hedonistic quote attributed to him: "Since God has given us the papacy, let us enjoy it."

The collective term "Augustinians" refers to several religious communities and orders that live according to the Rule of Saint Augustine, written around 400 CE by Augustine of Hippo (354-430).

The new Pope Leo XIV comes from the largest and best-known order, the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), founded in 1244 and originally known as the Hermits of Saint Augustine (OESA). The term "hermits" was dropped in 1963.

Members of the order wore a black habit, a leather belt, and a black hood. The rules of the monastery were comparatively mild, and the monks were allowed to wear shoes instead of sandals.

The pope wanted the friars to settle in cities, not in solitude. Their mission was to proclaim the word of God through the preaching and interpretation of scripture, the dignified organization of worship, and the cultivation of science and art.

The 16th century was the heyday of the order. At that time, it maintained about 2,000 monasteries and 300 nunneries with about 35,000 members. The order was especially popular in the German-speaking world.

The most famous and influential Augustinian hermit was Martin Luther (1483-1546). His Reformation led to a division of the church and saw the eventual dissolution of many of the order's monasteries in Germany.

The election of Pope Leo XIV brought congratulations from all over the world.

Polish President Andrzej Duda's congratulatory message hailed "a special bond of spiritual unity" between Catholic Poland and the church "in the name of shared values, responsibility for the common good and the strengthening of peace in the world."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election and said he hoped "for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine's efforts to restore justice and achieve lasting peace."

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, offered her sincere congratulations to the newly elected Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, wishing him "wisdom and strength as he leads the Catholic community and inspires the world through his commitment to peace and dialogue."

French President Emmanuel Macron also extended "a message of fraternity" to all Catholics and expressed hope that Pope Leo's pontificate will be a "bearer of peace and hope."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also hailed the "momentous" election of Pope Leo XIV.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wished the newly elected pope "success" and said he hoped the American pontiff would engage in "constructive dialogue" with the Kremlin.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, in his congratulatory message, welcomed the prospect of stronger ties with the Vatican and "strengthening the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and around the world." 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed hope that the pontificate of Leo XIV will "contribute to strengthening dialogue and the defence of human rights in a world that needs hope and unity." 

The mayor of Chicago has hailed the news of a pope who can call the city his hometown.

"Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago!" Mayor Brandon Johnson wrote on social media.

"Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon."

Leo XIV is the first North American leader of the Catholic Church in its 2,000-year history.

Pope Leo XIV was an active user on social media during his time as a cardinal.

And, at times, he posted opinions that were at odds with world leaders.

In February, Prevost, now Leo XIV, shared an article entitled: "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others."

The article, from the National Catholic Reporter newspaper, challenged Vance's use of scripture to defend prioritizing the well-being of select Americans over the rest of the world.

The US vice president converted to Catholicism and met Leo XIV's predecessor, the late Pope Francis, a day before the pontiff's death in April.

As the first US leader of the Catholic Church, the relationship between the new pope and the Trump administration will be keenly watched by observers.

New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz congratulated "His Holiness Pope Leo XIV" on his election to head the Catholic Church.

Merz, who is Catholic, said in a statement that the people of Germany look to the new pontificate "with confidence and positive expectations."

"Through your office, you provide hope and guidance to millions of believers worldwide during these times of great challenges. For many people, you are an anchor for justice and reconciliation," the chancellor said.

Merz wished the new pope "much strength, health and God's blessing."

US President Donald Trump has congratulated Pope Leo XIV on becoming the new leader of the Catholic Church, and its first-ever head from the United States.

"Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope," the president wrote on Truth Social. "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country."

Trump added that he hoped to one day meet Leo.

"I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV," he wrote. "It will be a very meaningful moment!"

Pope Leo XIV, whose birth name is Robert Francis Prevost, was born in Chicago on September 14, 1955.

In 1977, he entered the Order of Saint Augustine. Prevost studied at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago, receiving a diploma in theology.

At the age of 27, he was sent to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University (Angelicum). 

His order then sent him to Peru as a missionary, and later he alternated between various positions in the United States and Peru.

Prevost previously headed the diocese of Chiclayo in Peru and was second vice president of the Peruvian bishops' conference.

Pope Francis got to know him in the South American country and in 2023 appointed him the head of the Dicastery for Bishops, then made him a cardinal.

The Dicastery for Bishops is effectively the personnel department of the Catholic Church. In that role, he has been responsible for the appointment of bishops worldwide for the past two years.

At the same time, Prevost was president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Though Prevost has not often spoken in public, he garnered some attention for his quiet style and support for Francis, especially for his approach to matters of social justice.

Pope Leo XIV has made his first address to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.

"Peace be with you all," Leo XIV told the crowd that had gathered at the Vatican.

Leo XIV said he was an Augustinian priest, but added that he was above all a Christian, and a bishop.

"So we can all walk together," he said.

The newly-elected pontiff urged people to "build bridges through dialogue, through encounter, to come together as one people, always in peace."

He also payed homage to his predecessor, the late Pope Francis.

Leo XIV addressed the crowed first in Italian before switching to Spanish, recalling the many years he spent as a missionary in Peru where he eventually became bishop of Chiclayo.

The 66-year-old US cardinal is the Catholic Church's first leader from North America in its 2,000-year history.

The Vatican has announced that American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost will lead the Catholic Church as Pope Leo XIV.

Leo XIV becomes the first-ever US pope.

According to the Italian news agency Ansa, the new pope was elected in the fourth round of voting.

The conclave of 133 cardinals to elect the successor to the late Pope Francis began early Wednesday evening.

There was one unsuccessful ballot on Wednesday. Three more ballots were held on Thursday. A two-thirds majority is required.

For most of the past century, the conclave took between three and 14 ballots to elect a pope.

John Paul I, the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978, was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, took eight. Francis was elected on the fifth ballot in 2013.

Thousands of Catholics as well as curious onlookers in St Peter's Square cheered and applauded as white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel, signalling the election of a new pope.

People had gathered from around the world since the conclave began Wednesday.

The crowd shouted "Hallelujah!" and "Viva il papa!" upon seeing the news that a pope had been elected.

"It's an amazing feeling," said one onlooker who had traveled from Belfast to Rome for the occasion.

"I'm not an overly religious person but, being here with all these people just blew me away," they told the AFP news agency.

Among the cardinals who were considered key contenders to be the next pope were representatives from Europe, Africa and Asia.