NEW POPE: Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost speaks after being elected first-ever American Pope

After a historic conclave that spanned two days, Cardinal Robert Prevost—an American raised in Chicago—has been elected as the first-ever Pope from the United States. Taking the name Pope Leo XIV, he was formally introduced to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Thursday evening. A devoted member of the Augustinian order, Pope Leo XIV brings a global perspective to the papacy. Though born and raised in Chicago, he spent many years serving in Peru and held significant leadership roles within the Vatican, most recently as the head of the Catholic Church’s congregation for bishops. His election marks a turning point in Church history—not only as the first American pontiff, but as a spiritual leader poised to guide the Church through a new chapter following the transformative era of Pope Francis, who passed away earlier this year.