After a secret meeting that lasted 24 minutes, the College of Cardinals of the Catholic Church elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from the United States as the new Pope, making him the 267th Pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.
As the white smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and its surrounding areas are packed with crowds. French cardinal Dominique Mamberti announces from the balcony in Latin: I’m excited to share some big news: We have a new pope., which translates to I’m thrilled to share some great news with you: we have a new Pope..
The 69-year-old Prevost, born in Chicago, was responsible for appointing bishops in the Vatican before being elected as Pope. He served in Peru for two decades, becoming a bishop there and holding dual citizenship in the United States and Peru. Although Prevost leans towards a liberal perspective in theory, his approach may not be as radical as that of his predecessor, Pope Francis. He continues Francis’s focus on the poor and immigrants, stressing that bishops should not sit atop their kingdoms like little princes. However, his stance on LGBTQ+ Catholics remains unclear. According to The New York Times, he expressed disappointment regarding the portrayal of A belief and behavior that contradicts compassion and the gospel in Western media and pop culture during a 2012 interview, citing examples such as The LGBTQ+ lifestyle and Non-traditional family.
The election of the new pope took place during a secret meeting of 133 cardinals, making it the largest gathering of cardinals in history. This meeting was convened following the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. During the conference, the cardinals were required to take an oath of confidentiality, with the option to leave only under exceptional circumstances. A candidate must secure a two-thirds majority to be elected. Additionally, after each round of voting, the ballots were burned along with a special chemical additive; if the standard was not met, black smoke would billow out, while white smoke would indicate the election of a new pope.
In his inaugural public address, Pope Leo XIV expressed gratitude towards his predecessor and called on everyone Become a united nation to join in the pursuit of world peace.
