The world has got a new Pope in the form of Robert Prevost. For the first time in the history of Roman Catholicism, an American cardinal has been elected Pope. Robert Prevost will now be known as Pope Leo XIV. After being elected Pope, Pope Leo XIV’s first reaction was to appeal for peace. He said ‘Peace be with you’.
Who is Robert Prevost?
69-year-old Robert Prevost is an American cardinal. Chicago-born Cardinal Prevost certainly has many of the qualities required for this role. Two years ago, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as the prefect of the dicastery for the bishops of the Vatican, replacing Marc Ouellet, and entrusted him with the task of selecting the next generation of bishops. He worked as a missionary for many years before becoming Archbishop in Peru. Prevost is seen as a reformer, but at the age of 69, he may be considered too young for the post of Pope.
How the Pope is elected?
Earlier, white smoke was seen coming out of the chimney located at the Sistine Chapel of the Roman Catholic Church. This is an indication that the Pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church. In the process of electing the Pope, 133 cardinals cast their votes. To be victorious, it is necessary to get at least 89 votes. White smoke coming out of the chimney means that the winner has got at least 89 votes out of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave organized to elect the successor of Pope Francis.
As soon as the white smoke came out of the chimney, the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square rejoiced and people cheered. The name of the new Pope has not been made public yet. A senior cardinal from the balcony (loggia) of St. Peter’s Basilica shouted “Habemus Papam!” (Habemus Papam!), which means – “We have a new Pope!” The cardinals read the winner’s birth name in Latin. After this, the new Pope will make his first public appearance and bless the people from the same loggia.
Pope Francis died on April 21
Pope Francis had passed away on April 21, 2025 at the age of 88, after which a new Pope was to be elected for the church. With the death of the Pope, the centuries-old ritual began, which includes taking a sacred oath to elect a successor on behalf of the College of Cardinals, counting the ballots and piercing them with a needle and thread and then burning them to emit white or black smoke.
