Robert Francis Prevost has been named as the new pope after a two-day conclave in the Vatican. He was unveiled as the successor to the late Pope Francis in front of an excited crowd in St Peter’s Square on Thursday evening. Cardinal Prevost, 69, is the first North American pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIV.

The new pope was chosen in the ancient conclave process, which has remained unchanged for 1,000 years and saw 133 cardinals take place in multiple rounds of voting until a clear winner emerged. Onlookers had been joyously waving flags and chanting “Habemus Papam” – the Latin for “we have a Pope” – since white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel shortly after 5pm UK time. In his first words to the jubilant pilgrims and tourists gathered below, Pope Leo said: “Peace be with you.”

Many thought Francis would be succeeded by a European cardinal, but cardinals voting in the conclave decided to back an American candidate for the first time instead.

The new pope is the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishop from Chicago, the largest Archdiocese in North America, and holds both American and Peruvian citizenship.

He was also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and spent years in Peru as a missionary and then an archbishop. The 267th leader of the Catholic Church ran the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, until he was brought to Rome in 2023.

Francis brought the 69-year-old to the Vatican to serve as the head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the globe – one of the most important roles in the Catholic Church.

International development charity Cafod said the new leader of around 1.4 billion Catholics across the globe would be “a voice of wisdom in a fractured and divided world” and pointed to his Peruvian background as a chance to bring into the papacy “the vital perspective of the global south, elevating voices from the margins to centre stage”.

Pope Leo is seen as a reformer in the footsteps of Pope Francis and was part of one of the late pontiff’s biggest reforms in Rome – adding three women to the voting bloc that decides on bishop nominations to go before the pope.

His election signals the overhaul of a long taboo against a US pope linked to the significant geopolitical power already wielded by America in secular spheres.

In early 2025, Francis appointed Prevost to the most senior rank of cardinals, suggesting that he would be high on the late pontiff’s list of favourites to replace him.

The new pope also maintains similar conservative views to his predecessor, including opposition to the ordination of women as deacons.

US President Donald Trump congratulated Pope Leo on social media after his election was confirmed, describing it as “a great honour for our country”.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” he 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. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped for the pope’s “continued support” in the wartorn region. He said: “Ukraine deeply values the Holy See’s consistent position in upholding international law, condemning the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians.

“At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine‘s efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace. I wish His Holiness Leo XIV wisdom, inspiration, and strength—both spiritual and physical—in carrying out his noble mission.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also said he hoped the new pontiff would “contribute to strengthening dialogue and the defence of human rights”.

“May his pontificate contribute to strengthening dialogue and the defence of human rights in a world that needs hope and unity,” he wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Germany’s new chancellor Friedrich Merz congratulated Pope Leo for giving “hope and guidance to millions of believers”.